Starting Over
by MieteveMinijoma
Summary: Betty Andrews' life was going as planned: a happy husband, an offer at her dream job, and a bright future. Until a series of mishaps causes her entire world to come crashing down. She returns to Riverdale to pick up the pieces and has a run-in with a stranger from her past who changes her life. She's pulled into his world and with his help, she discovers who she's meant to be.
1. Author's Note

Hi guys! So, I kind of did a thing... This story has been a year (almost) in the making and I had a severe case of writer's block and life that hit me so I decided a few days before New Year's to rewrite this story to make it what I thought it should be.

I have added some elements to the story, slapped a whole new chapter right in the middle, and yes, I added sex scenes/smut/lemons to the story. I know some people are not fans of that (and my stuff on here is not explicit imo but it's sex so it's descriptive). I also made the story a bit longer and took the advice that some readers gave and slowed down the pace of the story.

Anywho, so I hope you are all still with me on this and that you love the changes I have made. I am working on the last two chapters now so it will be completed by the end of the month!

Much Love,

Bina 3


	2. Chapter 1: Skyfall

My whole life I always thought I had it all. I came a prominent family - the perfect family - and I had a deceptively normal upbringing. I honestly thought my life was as good as it was going to get. My parents always pushed me to do better than my best, _Leave nothing to chance, Elizabeth_, and they made sure I had everything mapped out perfectly for my future. Unfortunately, even though they planned my life down to the letter, just one day could still implode my life in such drastic ways that they could never expect or plan for.

Sadly, today was that day.

It all started much like any other typical winter day just outside New York City. There was fresh snow on the ground and a chill in the air. It was just after the holidays so tourism was down which meant the traffic should be back to a somewhat normal pace. My loving husband, Archie, kissed my cheek and said goodbye as he rushed off to the recording studio where he worked while I loaded my portfolio and laptop bag into my car so that I could make it to the most important job interview I would ever have on time.

You see, today was supposed to be the biggest day of my career to date. After years and years of writing puff pieces and trashy advice columns for crappy online publications, I finally had my shot at my big break: a full-time position to write for The New York Times. This was the chance of a lifetime and all I had ever dreamed of and strove for since I was a little girl growing up in my hometown of Riverdale, NY.

Ever since I was eight years old - when little Archie Andrews proposed to me on the playground for helping tutor him, so he wouldn't be left back a grade - I had this perfect image of how my life would be. It was everything I worked so hard for the last eighteen years of my life.

Archie and I would fall in love and be high school sweethearts, we'd go to the same college and get an apartment together off-campus, we would graduate at the top of our class and then get married Afterwards Archie would get a recording contract while I got a high profile journalist position at one of the biggest publications in the city, and we would live just outside the city with our 2.5 kids and a fluffy sheepdog named Merlin.

And for the most part, I have fulfilled _some_ of those dreams even if they didn't look the way I thought it would the majority of the time.

First off, Archie and I were never high school sweethearts - much to my chagrin. I ended up harboring my crush on Archie without him even taking notice of me. He dated half of the female population at Riverdale High (some at the same time) before he finally started dating Veronica Lodge at the beginning of our sophomore year.

Ronnie and I best friends and even though her relationship with Archie hurt at first, I let go of that crush and buried it deep. They were on-again/off-again for the rest of our high school career and still, Archie never saw me as more than a friend. Well, that was until the summer after our senior year when Veronica dumped him for the final time to be with Reggie Mantle. Archie and I had a whirlwind summer and I truly felt like I was on the right path for the first time in my life. Then on the weekend before we were set to leave for college was when I decided that I wanted him to be my first - my only - and it was a magical experience, even if I wasn't his first. I was so happy back in those days that I didn't truly realize how naive I really was.

Even though we were going to colleges in different states and rarely got to see each other, we managed to stay together and made the most of the time we did have together. We both graduated early and got married before we turned 23 years old. Then we bought a beautiful house just outside the city, in a little suburb that reminded me of the street we grew up on in Riverdale. Sadly, that was as far as we had gotten into my dream life.

We had yet to fill the house with those 2.5 kids yet and it made me sad. I always wanted to be a Mom and to be halfway through my twenties and still not have one was hard most days. Archie expressed to me that he wanted us to be more established in our careers first before we thought about kids. He also seemed very concerned about what a baby would do to my figure and pushed me to stay in peak physical condition so that when we did have kids, I would bounce back to my pre-pregnancy size quicker - a sentiment that he and my mother shared.

Archie was already a very successful studio musician for some of the biggest acts in the city but was looking for his big break into stardom. I had yet to find my stride in my career, so I kind of understood where he was coming from on that aspect. However, I planned that once I ace this interview and land this job, that I would finally talk to him about getting started on having those adorable children I had always dreamed of.

Unfortunately, this is where my wonderful day morphed into something from the deepest pits of hell.

First off, not ten minutes after grabbing my morning coffee at my favorite local coffee shop, my car decided it was time to die. And it didn't want to die in the hustle and bustle of the city; no, no, no. It decided to die in the peaceful, snow banked countryside - nearly 20 miles from town or a mechanic. And - because this is how my luck is - today was the day I had taken my tools out of the trunk to make room for Archie's equipment that I was supposed to drop off at the studio this afternoon.

"No, no, no! Please, not today! Dammit!" I cried in frustration and eased onto the side of the road. I had been on speaker phone listening to the ramblings of my well-meaning, control freak of a mother on how to properly interview for this position if I really wanted to impress them.

"_**Elizabeth, language!**_" Alice Cooper shrieked into the phone before lowering her voice and continuing to scold me, "_**That is not how a proper lady speaks, Elizabeth. Now, what is going on?**_"

"Sorry," I mumbled, desperately trying to restart my car to no avail. "Mom, my car just cut out on me and I really need to make it to the city, so I need to go. I need to try to catch Arch before he gets all the way to the studio and let him know what happened. I'll call you after I get this sorted out, I love you. Bye, Mom."

Before she could even reply, I hung up on her and pulled up my insurance app. I was lucky enough to have roadside assistance and managed to get a tow truck dispatched within five minutes. However, they said it would take 45 minutes for it to arrive but told me that if I needed to be somewhere, they could pick it up and I wouldn't need to wait.

I called my potential boss to let them know I would be late for my interview, and they told me not to worry about coming in at this time. Apparently, there had been a fire in the company break room that morning and everyone on that floor scheduled to work from home for the next two weeks pending an investigation and repairs to the building.

After we set up a new interview for a month from today, I hung up and ordered a car back to the house. It wasn't until I got inside my ride that I realized I had forgotten something extremely vital. I had apparently neglected to charge my cell the previous night. And how, might you ask, did I realize this? You guessed it, as I was calling my husband to let him know how my _wonderful_ day was going before his morning session, my phone died as well.

So here I am, stuck in the back of a strangers car and listening to the most ungodly awful music known to man, and just praying that I make it home before the sky begins to fall down on top of my head. Little did I realize that the sky had already crumbled around me, I just had neglected to notice the pieces collecting at my feet.

When I arrived home thirty minutes later, two things seemed odd enough to cause my stomach to twist up into knots.

One — my husband's car was parked out front when I had clearly seen him leave for work just a few hours before. Two — there was another car parked out in front of our split-level as well, one that belonged to his 20-year-old guitar student Melinda.

This stuck out to me because Archie never mentioned having any private lessons scheduled today. I had a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach, so I decided to have the driver drop me off a few houses down. This way, I could investigate and find out why exactly Archie had lied to me about where he was going to be today.

I made sure to sneak around the back of the house, carefully removing my heels and gently laying my bags down as I tiptoed into the backdoor. It was when I was making my way deeper into the house that I heard it - the sound that will make any spouse's heart race. It made me freeze dead in my tracks, my stomach wrenching in pain. The sounds of passionate lovemaking were permeating from my bedroom and the voices from inside we no doubt from my husband and another woman.

As calmly and quietly as my trembling legs would possibly allow, I crept upstairs and peered into the crack of the door where it had been left ajar. My heart pounded harder against my sternum as my eyes slowly scanned the room. In one instant, my heart stopped and I could actually feel the cracks forming where it was being shattered into a million different fragments. It all seemed so surreal that I almost thought I was dreaming and willed myself to wake from this torturous nightmare.

There I saw my husband, the light of my life - the only man whom I have ever loved, in the middle of very questionable acts with his student, Melinda. I have always prided myself on being that woman who would go all Southside on a bitch and fight for my man and what was mine if this exact situation was ever to arise.

That the 'Cooper Crazy' would take over and I would fight to the death. But being in the here and now - and actually bearing witness to my husband's infidelity - all I could do was hold my breath, dig my nails into my palms, and wait for the tears. I must have let out a gasp or a semi-silent sob because suddenly Archie looked towards the door and noticed me standing there.

His eyes went wide as he scrambled to push a clueless Melinda off of him and began walking towards me while scrambling to cover himself up. "Fuck! Betty- um, what are you doing here? I-It's- uh, it's not what it looks like. I swear."

I couldn't breathe as I watched him reach out to me, so I did the only thing my mind could comprehend, I ran. I sprinted down the stairs and headed towards the back door while the whole scene played in my mind over and over, alongside all of our happy times.

It was like my life to this point was literally flashing before my eyes and all I could think to do was run away. Run anywhere but here at this moment. _Run outside and have a cigarette to stop the pain. Nicotine will help the pain and help me forget, at least for a brief second._ The cold would freeze my heart so the shards would not break any more than they already had. Anything to make the pain stop, to make me forget the images that were running through my mind.

By the time I reached the backyard, I collapsed in sobs, my heart squeezing in my chest as the panic began to take over. It took everything I had to control my shaking hands enough to actually light my smoke. I took a draw from it and let the smoke burn my lungs, let it seep into my broken soul and ease the heartache I felt.

I sat there - in the snow with no shoes on, smoking and crying uncontrollably - secretly praying that the world would swallow me up or at least kill me from hypothermia. Anything would be better than the betrayal I felt. Even death had to hurt less than what my body felt right now. I had been outside for only a few minutes when Archie ran out in pajama bottoms, his robe and house shoes before he began shaking me out of my watery trance.

"Betts, Betty... **Elizabeth**! Snap out of it! You need to come inside, right now! We need to talk about this and I won't have you out here flaunting our _personal business_ to the entire neighborhood. Now, come inside before you catch your death out here," his eyes were stern and cold as he spoke to me. That was all it took for something in me to snap.

"**No, I will **_**not**_ **be coming inside to 'talk things out'. Fuck what the neighbors think, they can kiss my ass for all I give a shit! Besides, what the hell do you care if I freeze to death or not? You obviously didn't care when you had your dick in another woman, so why now, Archibald?!**" Archie winced slightly at my use of his given name and he just stared at me like a puppy being scolded by its master.

Only Archie wasn't just some puppy who'd been caught humping someone's leg; he was my husband who was just caught humping one of his students. He looked at his feet when he spoke and for a moment I almost thought he actually may have felt some remorse. _Probably just because he was caught and not that he actually felt bad for cheating._

"How can you ask me that? I love you, Betty." This made the fire raging inside me grow larger and made me seethe. All I wanted to do at that moment was kill something: Him, her, a case of vodka, _anything_. Anything to stop this madness that I woke up to today.

"You _love_ me? You were just caught playing 'hide-the-sausage' with a student _in my fucking bed no less_ and you have the nerve to say _you_ love _me_?! Can you please explain how _that_ equates to love, Archibald?" My hands began to tremble again, whether from the cold or from pure hatred I do not know, and I fumbled to light another cigarette.

I could see a pained look on his face as he searched for something to say, for a brief second seeing the eyes of that little boy who stole my heart, and I felt my resolve falter. I actually had this sick, masochistic urge to reach out and comfort him but that was all lost when he spoke again.

"She's pregnant, Elizabeth," he stated firmly, staring directly at me with a neutral expression on his face. My breath halted, my mind was not able to comprehend exactly what he had just said to me. "I'm sorry that you had to find out this way, I never meant to hurt you but it is what it is. I was going to tell you soon but I just didn't know how to do it. I do care about you, Betty - I always will. But Mel and I are _in_ love and we want to get married, have our baby, and raise it as a family. I have never felt this way about anyone before and I can't lie to you anymore. It's over, Betty. I have already talked to another lawyer about drafting the divorce papers and Kevin has agreed to remain your lawyer. I was advised that since the house is in my name and you don't have a steady income right now that I should stay here so I need you to pack a bag and be out tonight."

I couldn't believe what I just heard. My husband - my first and only love - was throwing me out on the streets without even batting an eyelash. He didn't love me, I am not sure if he ever really did love me at all, and now he is telling me that it's over and he is in love with another woman and divorcing me on top of everything else. This was too much for my mind to take, I squeezed my eyes shut while digging my nails deeper into my palms to stop the impending panic attack.

But no matter how hard I clenched them, I could not think of anything else but the excruciating pain that was emanating from my heart. My head began spinning and all the anger I felt was suddenly gone, fading into the darkness that was surrounding me. I heard faint voices calling my name but the pain I felt was too great and I allowed it to swallow me up into the darkness.


	3. Chapter 2: Seems Like Old Times

The first thing I noticed when I woke up from the horrific nightmare I'd been having was a high-pitched noise, one that could only be described as the most annoying beeping sound known to man.

Without much thought, I reached my hand out to hit the damned snooze button on my phone, only to find that there was nothing more than soft blankets within reach.

Confused, I slowly opened my eyes to see that I was in a moonlit hospital room. Then the realization washed over me, the beeping sound I heard was my own heart. I sat up, taking in my surroundings. Three white walls and a giant glass window-lined the room and the machines that were hooked into my body were steadily beeping.

I looked out the window and I could see the lights from the city twinkling just as bright as the stars above them. It had to have been pretty late in the evening given the stillness of the hospital room and the darkness around me.

I was having the hardest time remembering why I was here in the first place or what could have possibly caused this. _How did I get to the hospital? Was I in an accident or something?_ I wondered.

As if to answer my thoughts a voice from the corner of the room spoke out of the darkness, startling me. "Archibald called 911 after you blacked out in the backyard. You were half-frozen when the paramedics arrived. The doctors were afraid you were hypothermic, you gave us all a huge scare, B."

Jumping out of my skin, I instantly knew the voice echoing in the night. "V? What are you doing here?" I stared at her blankly, squinting to see her better in the dim lighting.

"I'm your soul-sister, B. Why wouldn't I be here?" Veronica clicked the lamp above the silver gurney style bed I was laying in and sat down beside me.

Her jet black hair was brilliantly shining in the new lighting, her matching black dress and cape making her look just like the girl I'd met that first day in Pop's all those years. It made me smile at the memory of my best friend, the one person who I knew without a doubt would always be there for me.

"Well yeah, V, of course. But how did you make it all the way from Paris to here in just a few hours? Did you take a rocket?" I chuckled. I suddenly realized the seriousness of her being here and what it could mean.

"Ronnie, where's Reggie? Oh God, did you call my mother? Please tell me she hasn't heard about me being here yet! You know Alice, she'll make a huge fuss over me being here and I can't deal-," I stop ranting and began to panic, frantically searching for my cell to call and run damage control.

"Betty, listen I need you to calm down... Hey, it's okay, B. Reggie is in Riverdale at mommy and daddy's penthouse. And don't worry about calling your mom, she is probably sleeping by now anyway. Mrs. Andrews called Fred and he has been keeping your parents updated," she took my hand and began petting it, trying to soothe me as she spoke.

"As for your other question: yes, I did fly. But B," Veronica sighed softly as she hesitated to continue, "Sweetie, you have been unconscious for two days now."

_Two days! How- how is that even possible? Why can't I remember what happened? _I thought.

All I could remember was the horrible nightmare I had. Had I gotten into an accident as I feared?

I opened my mouth to speak when the door to my room clicked open and a very stout, friendly-looking nurse came in, wheeling a cart behind her to check my vitals.

"Well, hello-hello there sleeping beauty! We were beginning to wonder when you would wake up. You are looking much better now deary." She checked my pulse rate and blood pressure as she continued to chat.

"How would you like some nice soup? Poor dear, you are probably starving! I know just the thing! We have some snacks in the backroom for our patients who are hungry for something between meals," she smiled warmly and bounded out of the door as quickly as she came. Still somewhat confused, I turned back to my best friend with a questioning glance.

"Ronnie, what happened? How did I end up here?" Veronica's chocolate eyes seemed to flash with panic as she came to understand that I had no memory of the events that transpired to bring me to this point.

"Betts, sweetie- I, uh, well... You see…" I could see that she was searching for a gentle way to tell me something but I wasn't sure what.

"It's just that you ...and Archie... Well, honey, he filed for divorce and changed the locks on the house," she frowned.

As soon as the words left her mouth, the memories came flooding back in and I realized that my nightmare was no nightmare at all. It was all too painfully real.

Archie, Melinda, the affair, the baby. Their baby. They are having a baby…together.

I remembered everything. The car trouble, coming home early only to find _them_ together in our bed, sitting in the freezing snow while sobbing, Archie throwing me out and telling me he wanted a divorce. _I must have blacked out..._

I sank back into my pillows and stared at the ceiling tiles above me. I closed my eyes and silently prayed that this would all still just be a dream, a horrible nightmare that I would wake from at any moment.

But when I opened my eyes, I was still sitting in this same hospital bed, my best friend's worried face staring down at me. It wasn't a dream or even a nightmare, it was real. My life was gone. My husband, my job, my home, even my car - they were all gone. He took everything from me and left me with nothing.

I could feel my blood begin to boil as the anger over his betrayal and his lies intensified. The urge to clench my fists grew as tears threatened to well up behind my eyes. _I have to fight this, I can't let him take anything else away from me._

"No. I will not cry over him _ever_ again! I am **not** going to let him break me, Ronnie. I won't give that bastard the satisfaction of getting anything else from me. Our marriage was **far** from perfect and he's already taken too much from me, he won't get anymore! I am done being someone's doormat. I am taking control of my life back **now**!" I shook my head violently to stop the tears. I held my head high and put on my Alice Cooper approved brave face as if trying to convince myself and not Veronica of what I was saying.

She simply squeezed my hand and reassured me that it would all be ok, no matter what. I spaced out, regulated my breathing and after calming down a bit, I realized that Ronnie was still trying to talk to me.

"... and I can transfer everything back to Riverdale. I was thinking I could open up one of my boutiques on Main Street and we can get an apartment together, just you and me. Just like it was supposed to always be. I have really missed being back home, being close to my bestie. I had forgotten how beautiful the winters were here. And besides, I am getting tired of all the tourists in Paris anyway. Uh- B, are you listening?" she asked furrowing her brow.

I smiled, nodding my head as I reply, "Yeah. Sorry, V. I guess I spaced for a minute there but I am listening."

"It's ok, love, I understand why. So, what do you say? We can move back home and take Riverdale by storm once again! B and V against the world, just like old times. How about it?" Veronica clutched my hand between hers, eyes pleading with me and I smiled at her. I have missed her so very much and would love to have my V back. But for her to uproot her life just for me, I don't think I could handle that.

"V, are you sure? You really don't have-," she raised her hand and cut me off before I could say anything else.

"Nonsense, B. I am your bestie for life so I want to be here for you right now! Besides, I am your elder and I know Alice always told you to respect your elders, B," I chuckled at the stern look she shot me, rolling my eyes at her pulling rank on me like that.

"You are only older by four months, V," she smiled back at me, mockingly raising an eyebrow to stress her seriousness.

"Yes, but older still," I knew at that moment that there was no arguing with her. Once Veronica Lodge got her mindset on something she was even more stubborn than I about sticking to it (and that's saying something).

She and I were alike in so many ways but also very different at the same time. I was the sweet one, Veronica was the spicy one. I was the classic beauty whereas Veronica was more gothic beauty. I was a planner, Veronica was spontaneous. She was the yin to my yang and vice versa, two parts of one whole. I was glad to have her here beside me as I went through this whole messed up ordeal. I honestly don't know what I would do without my V.

"Okay, V. You win. Let's do this!" Veronica clapped her hands and jumped up and down in her seat in her excitement. The plans we devised were simple and only involved a few simple steps to free me from this horrible marriage I had been in.

Veronica had already spoken to Kevin about drawing up papers of his own to have the dissolution of the marriage be made clear as an affair and not anything else. Kevin was honestly just as angry as I was when Archie had told him he was dropping him as his attorney but that he should stay on retainer as mine. He knew something was up but he couldn't pinpoint what it was but now that he knows, he is out to take Arch to the cleaners which frankly makes me laugh internally just a bit. Just to think about sweet, lovable Kevin Keller going to war against Archie Andrews in court over me? It was amazing and Archie won't stand a chance once Kevin is through with him.

Veronica had also spoken to Hermione and she offered up two of the suites at The Pembrooke: a two bedroom two bath for Ronnie and I and a Studio apartment for Reggie since he is uprooting his life as well to follow her back to Riverdale.

I tried to explain that I would be happy taking the studio but she wouldn't hear of it, claiming she needed all the B time she could get since it had been at least 2 years since we last saw one another. Unfortunately, that was what used to be the happiest day of my life. Now it is just one of the worst mistakes of it.

But I won't think of that tonight. He won't ruin my life any more than he already has.

As Veronica and I sat there trying to discuss all the things we need to do to push past the events of the last few days, I could feel my eyelids become heavy and I knew sleep would soon take over me again.

Veronica promised to be back first thing in the morning with my favorite pastries and coffee from our spot in the city. She hugged me goodbye and after she stepped out the door I rolled over to stare at the stars. As I laid there waiting for sleep to overtake me, I had to ask myself: When will I complete the stages of grief? I have denied, gotten angry, bargained, and even been depressed.

All that's left is acceptance. But how can I accept that my life as I knew it was now over?

The next few days seemed to go by in a fog, events all bleeding together into one jumbled mess. Nothing felt real to me yet, it was almost like I was living in a constant dream state. I could remember bits and pieces, things that the doctors said - speaking to me about anxiety and trauma and meds - but I kind of tuned it all out. I let Veronica handle all those things cause I still couldn't understand what happened out of my mind and what I needed to do in order to pick up the pieces. Those days seemed like nothing more than one continuous emotional beating.

Finally, after three days, they released me from the hospital. They gave me instructions to fill the prescriptions for my anxiety disorder and to make sure to follow up with a psychiatrist when I reach Riverdale. I thanked them for everything they had done and signed my discharge papers and waited for Veronica to bring the car around.

Veronica pulled up in her black Cadillac and as I hopped in she explained her plans for getting me out of that house. She decided to hire movers to help me pack my belongings in order to make the move back to Riverdale smoother. She wanted to make sure it went as quickly as possible, in case Archie gave me any trouble because that was likely. We drove in relative silence most of the way there until Veronica finally spoke.

"Don't worry, B. I will make sure that everything is taken care of as quickly as possible. I hired the best movers in the city so this won't take long, I am sure. The faster we get all your stuff, the sooner we can go back home and start our new lives." I couldn't help but be nervous. I wasn't really sure what to expect when we arrived but I had a feeling Archie planned to make it difficult for me. Because of this feeling, I wasn't at all shocked to see that Archie wasn't alone at the house when we arrived.

As we pulled up to what was once my dream home, I found myself face to face with Archie, his mistress, and his sleazy new lawyer.

"Christ, what the hell is she doing here?" I mumbled to myself. I could feel the urge to dig my nails deep into my flesh, but I knew I needed to fight it. I wouldn't give Archie and his side chick the satisfaction of seeing my pain. Archie stepped walked down the steps, moving closer to meet Veronica and I while his lawyer and _girlfriend_ stayed on the porch to avoid any confrontation.

He explained that his lawyer wanted to document my move so that 'I would only remove my things from the home and ensure that I didn't damage any of his personal property in the process'. **Ha**! The only 'personal property' Archie Andrews had to worry about getting damaged was that stupid face of his if he gave me any trouble!

"Come on Betts, let's just get this over with as painlessly as possible so we can both move on. I really need to get Mel's stuff set up inside and your clothes and things are taking up so much space. And I need your library cleared so we can put in the nurs-," Archie stopped his ramblings when he noticed that Veronica and I were just staring at him with disbelief on our faces.

"You- you- worthless little Hijo _**de puta**_!" Veronica screamed, losing her cool and pointing her finger in Archie's face. "You think you can just cheat on my best friend and mistreat her the way you did me and I would just sit down and take it? _Oh, Dios mío_ Archibald, I always thought it was a joke but you really are a fucking _idiota_!" She seethed as she poked him in the chest with her sharp, manicured fingernails.

I had to admit that even I was a bit frightened at this moment, having never seen Veronica this angry before. And honestly, if I didn't know for a fact that she had my back, I personally would never dare cross one Miss Veronica Lodge. The rage that was emanating off of her at that moment was like nothing I had seen. I honestly thought Veronica was ready to have Hiram order a hit on Archie at any moment. The fire in her eyes was so powerful I am sure Hades himself would tremble before the petite Latina. Many people thought Hiram Lodge was scary but they had never seen just what Veronica was capable of herself.

"V, just keep your head, help the movers, and I will be up in a minute. Okay? And..." I whispered, I pulling her to the side so she could cool off while I spoke to Archie myself. "There is a large cedar chest in the attic. Can you make sure they load that in the car? All my stuff from high school is in there."

"Sure thing, B. I got you," she placed a quick kiss on my cheek before she headed off to supervise the movers and make sure nothing was getting damaged. I took a long deep breath before turning back to face Archie for what I hoped would be the last time before the divorce proceedings. He gave me a smug grin like he was so proud of himself that I still catered to his needs. Well, he was about to learn he was wrong.

"First off Archibald, **never** call me Betts again. Got it? You lost the right to call me that when you decided to fuck around with _her_ \- and God knows who else - while you were still sleeping with me in our bed. You will address me as Elizabeth from here on out. At least I hate that name as much as I hate you, so it works out," I paused, glancing at Melinda then back to Archie. With my face stony and my voice firm, I continued.

"Secondly, I don't give a damn about your plans for this house or your future. Do whatever the hell you want. Burn the motherfucker to the ground for all I give a shit. I am just here to collect _my_ things from _my _past that **do not** involve you," I stated, shaking from the anger but willing myself to continue, "As for anything that is even _remotely_ related to you and me? Burn it. Put it through a woodchipper. Whatever. I don't want it or need it. At the very least if you aren't going to burn in hell, then **our** past together can," I turn on my heels without letting Archie speak and marched confidently up the stairs to meet Veronica.

She was still rather peeved about the whole confrontation with Archie but I managed to keep her placated by promising she could ruin his life **after** the divorce was final. I instantly saw the mischievous look in her eyes and I knew that Archie was in for a world of hurt. _Serves him right for what he did to me._

We made quick work of packing all my things and getting them loaded into the back of the moving truck, making sure there are no reminders of my old life with him. As the movers are packing up the final boxes, I hear Veronica clear her throat behind me.

"Hey B, I found this on your nightstand and I didn't know if you'd want to keep it, all things considered..." I looked down to see a picture of the old gang from high school. It was one that we took at Pop's the night of graduation. Cheryl, Veronica, and I are all hugging with Kevin and Archie flanking us on either side. We were so happy that night. I don't want to ever forget this moment in time but I know what I could do to make it less painful.

"Hey V, got any scissors?" I asked. She clutched her hand to her chest in mock betrayal.

"Betty Cooper, did you really ask me that? I am a fashionista and goddess of all things crafty. '_Do I have scissors?_' Pfft," she scoffed, rolling her eyes for added effect. She reached into her purse and pulled out a black case that contained a pair of pure gold shears with a diamond-encrusted handle.

I giggled softly, knowing that if I ever imagined Veronica carrying around scissors, these would be the exact ones I would have imagined. I took the shears and gently cut the photo, making sure Archie was sliced out of it permanently. Lucky for me, he was on the end and no one would even know he existed if they weren't already there.

"There. Now it's perfect," I said as the picture of Archie fluttered to the ground before passing back the shears and smiling at Veronica. "Let's go home, V."

She grabbed my hand and without a second glance in Archie's direction, I walked away from the smoldering ashes of my old life. I am ready to go back home. I am ready to be Betty Cooper again. And for the first time since that horrible day, I finally feel like I can breathe again.

We spent the next few peaceful hours shifting for singing our lungs out to our favorite tunes to sitting in comfortable silence, just enjoying being together again. Unfortunately, once I saw that familiar sign for the town with pep come into view, I started to feel the cracks in my heart begin to form again. I have so many memories of Archie and I here that I began to worry that I made a mistake coming back here. _What if this is not where I'm supposed to be? What will everyone say? What if they all know what he did... will I look like a failure because of it? Will anyone ever want me now?_

As my anxiety level rose, I could start to feel my heart rate quicken and my breath stagger but before the tears had a chance to fall I felt Ronnie's hand on mine giving a gentle - yet knowing - squeeze.

"It's going to be okay, B. We will make new memories, together. B and V till the end right?" she said softly.

I couldn't help but smile at her and replied "Till the end, V. Always. And..." I smirked, "I know exactly what the first memory I want to replace is!"

Veronica smiled back, "Pop's?"

"Pops!" I exclaimed my face brightening just at the thought. _Man, she does know me so well. Oh, how I have missed that._

Walking through the doors of that familiar diner after all these years was just like going back in time. Everything was exactly the same like no time had passed at all. From the red and white vinyl booths to the checkerboard tiles, nothing seemed to have been touched. It was all the same, all so familiar, and it was the most comforting thing I could have ever asked for.

If not for the fact that Pop Tate himself had obviously aged almost a decade, it would seem like Pop Tate's was some sort of time vortex where nothing aged or changed. There were even Riverdale High students in their cheerleading uniforms and letterman jackets, laughing and drinking milkshakes, just like the old days.

I almost felt like if I were to just close my eyes a bit, I could see that fifteen-year-old girl again and maybe go back to tell her to stay away from Archie Andrews. That maybe I could find someone else and change how things turned out. Maybe if I hadn't been so caught up in Archie, I might have found someone better. Someone who treated me like I mattered. Someone who had my common interests and who actually saw me - the real me - not the facade that was Alice Cooper's creation.

But, that was the thing about Archie and I's relationship, he never attempted to even see me. Not who I really was. He always liked the Stepford Wives mask; The perfect girlfriend, all pink and pastels. The perfect wife, baking cookies and bringing him his slippers. And I stupidly fed into it, living the life I hated as a teen because I thought I was in love.

It wasn't until I was shaken free of that fantasy life that I really discovered all the cracks that were actually in our marriage. All the times I tried to venture out of my 'girl next door' image, he would say that he didn't like me any other way. When I would talk about maybe changing my hairstyle, he would say how sensible my ponytails were and that he liked me plain. When I wanted to go out with girlfriend's, he would say I needed to stay home with him but if he was at the studio late or he went out, I had to be home waiting so he wouldn't come home to an empty house as his Dad had to so many nights.

I honestly don't know why I never saw the toxicity of our relationship before now. I guess I was so used to that way of life with Alice that I never saw how bad it really was. Even after everyone tried to tell me how he was, I was blinded to it. But they still tried.

Cheryl, Veronica, Valerie, Josie - hell even my mother - all warned me what kind of person he really was. That he didn't understand what it meant to settle down or how to treat a woman properly. That while he loved hard and fast, that love was **always** fleeting. That no one would ever be good enough because even Archie didn't know what he wanted. I just didn't listen to them. When I finally had him and he told me he wanted me forever, I stupidly believed him. I thought I was the one to finally tame him, the one to finally be enough for the heartbreaker Archie Andrews. But that was all a lie in the end.

As I stood in the doorway, memories flashed through my head before Veronica finally cleared her throat and pulled me to sit down. When we slid ourselves into our booth, the one we spent most of our teenage years in, Veronica spoke up attempting to break the silence.

"Okay B, now I know that it is probably difficult being here - given all the memories of '_He who shall not be named_' - but I want us to push passed all that negativity and focus on the new life ahead of us, minus that ginger Judas!" she huffed while waving her hands about.

"Ronnie, did you just refer to Archie as Lord Voldemort?" I tilted my head and laughed at her growing blush.

"Hey, if the evil shoe fits, am I right? Besides, he is firmly planted in the past so we have no need to use his name anymore!" I could feel myself smiling a genuine smile at her attempt to help me laugh at the situation.

"Well, I guess you are right but it seems like even Voldemort isn't that bad. I just never realized that you were a fan of the books is all." I chuckled, raising my eyebrow in surprise.

"B, please! You do realize they made those into movies right? And I may not have read the books but you can bet Daniel Radcliffe's sweet ass that I saw those movies," she wiggled her brow and we both burst into laughter.

It was at that moment that Pop came rushing up to our table, pure joy evident on his face. He must have been in the back when we entered because the surprise on his face was clear. I could almost see happy tears in his eyes threatening to surface.

"Well, if it isn't my two favorite girls!" He reached out his arms to envelop us both into a bear hug, "I haven't seen you around these parts in years. What are you two doing back here? Betty, how is Arc-," I held my hand up signaling him to stop and gently begin.

"Well, the thing is Pop... Archie and I, we are not together anymore," I said in a strong voice. "V and I decided maybe it would be best to start over, right here at home," I kept my eyes trained my hands that were clasped together on the table. I didn't want to see the disappointment on his face but my eyes finally met his when I felt his hand pat my shoulder gently.

"Well, that boy is losing out on the best thing in his life, Betty," he placed his hands over mine. "You deserve so much more and I know I don't know what happened but - from what I remember of that boy - it is probably Archie's fault," he squeezed my hands and gave me a sympathetic smile.

"I tell you what girls, how about I get your favorite orders ready for you, all on the house?" He said excitedly.

"Oh Pop, there's no need for that-," I start before he cuts me off.

"Nonsense, dear. Let's call this a welcome home celebration dinner. It will be good to have you girls back in town," he turned to walk away before pausing to speak again, "and Betty, your old job is always waiting for you if you need the extra cash." He smiled before heading into the kitchen.

We spent the next few hours reminiscing about the old days, laughing like schoolgirls and drinking our weight in celebration milkshakes. This was exactly what I needed: to feel like myself again, the old me. Not Betty Andrews. I needed to get Betty Cooper back. And hopefully this time a new and improved version of Betty Cooper. Betty Cooper I always wanted to be. The one I know is still buried deep inside me.

By the time we left Pop's, I felt somewhat better about where my life was heading now. As afraid as I was of the future, I knew that at least now I was on the right path. I just wasn't sure where it was leading me. But it was clear that the next step was facing the one person in my life who was probably going to tell me '_I told you so'_. The person who would love to point out my failures and happily show me what I should have done - in their mind at least. And there was no time like the present if I was determined to slay this particular dragon.

_Cooper residence, here I come. _


	4. Chapter 3: Stir of Echos

"Ronnie, I know you are worried about me but I swear, I'll be fine. I'm going to have to face her eventually and honestly, I have to do this alone. Trust me, I know how to handle Alice and Hal," I sighed, running my hands through my hair for what seemed like the hundredth time.

I had been trying to convince Veronica for the last twenty minutes that I didn't need her to hold my hand while I went to see my parents. I lived with them for eighteen years of my life, I didn't need Veronica there as a buffer. It was my life and they couldn't control me or make me feel bad anymore. I just wanted to get this over with so that I could finally move on and not have to deal with the mess later. Better to just rip the band-aid off as quickly as possible.

"Betty, are you absolutely sure? I know just how critical Alice can be and I don't want any more stress on my B than what you already have to deal with," Veronica squeezed my hands gently and looked into my eyes to check for any hesitation.

"I know you don't, V. And I love you so much for looking out for me but I can - no, I actually _need_ to do this alone. I have to show them that just because I am getting a divorce doesn't mean that **I** am broken; That I am letting this beat me," Veronica sighed but seemed to be satisfied with that answer. She hugged me tight, got into the driver's seat, and started her car before turning to me one last time.

"Okay, I trust you, B. I'm going to head to the apartment and make sure everything is getting put in the proper places. Reggie is already there supervising but I want to make sure he doesn't just let them throw boxes anywhere they like. See you soon, roomie! Muah!" With one last look, Veronica blew me a kiss and drove off into the night. I pulled my coat around me tighter and began my short journey back to my childhood home.

Even though it had been over 2 years since I'd been back here, it seemed like everything was eerily exactly the same. And even though there have been some people who have left over the years, and new people have come in, it's still the same old Riverdale. It was still the same place where I grew up, the place where I fell in love. And sadly, it was the place where my classmate - my sister's boyfriend whom it turned out later was also our third cousin - was murdered by his own father. I couldn't help but shudder at the memories of it all, even all these years later it was haunting.

Jason 'drowning' in Sweetwater river while on a boat ride with his twin sister, Cheryl, only to be found over a month later with a bullet to the skull.

Polly going missing at the same time as Jason - not even my parents telling me where she was - only for her to come home later and never speak a word of Jason's death or anything that had happened for that whole year.

I was determined to find out who the real killer was, wanting to be the one to crack the case so I could figure out why all this happened and where my sister had been this whole time.

Then finally, Polly running off to The Farm before I could find any real clues and me feeling like I would never know the truth, until one day the truth was literally dropped into my lap.

I still remember the day that the package that helped close the case arrived on my doorstep. It was just an innocent-looking cardboard box, addressed to me with no sender information. Inside was a typed noted - and not computer typed, mind you. I am talking old school. 'Vintage typewriter' kind of old school - that read:

_Hey There Nancy Drew,_

_Not to start off with an old clique but here we go: You don't know me although I do know you. And because of that fact, I know you are the only one in this town who can truly help me. _

_I have been investigating the Jason Blossom murder on my own for some time now and I just found this secret buried among the maple trees of the Blossom's farm._

_Currently, as I write this letter, an innocent man sits in jail awaiting his trial on a murder that he didn't commit. I fear that if this information doesn't get to Sheriff Keller soon, that an innocent man is going to go to jail for the rest of his life. That means the real killer will walk free and be able to get away with the terrible crime he committed._

_Now, I know you are probably thinking - why can't he/she just go to the police themselves if they have proof? However, you have to believe me when I say that there is no way Keller (or anyone else in this town for that matter) would help me. I am just not in a position where people would listen to me or believe what I have uncovered if I turned it in._

_But you, my fellow truthseeker, __**are**_ _in a position to do so. I have seen you around town so I know you are investigating this case as well and you are someone the town would believe. So please, I implore you, will you help me save this man's life? Can you do a favor for a helpless stranger who is desperate for the truth to be revealed? Can you be that innocent man's savior? I sincerely hope your answer is a resounding yes because I believe it is._

_Finally, I want you to know that I wish to retain my anonymity in this and I don't want any of the credit. I just want the truth to come out and this man's life to be saved._

_Signed,_

_W. Mark Felt_

_P.S. Please destroy this letter so that no one but you and I will share the truth about where this information came from. If asked, just say you were searching the woods where the old Blossom Farms sign is located and found it there, they will see where it was if they look. Otherwise, please keep this between us. Also, remember to check the pockets..._

...and below the letter, wrapped in a garbage bag and covered in dirt and blood, was Jason Blossom's letterman jacket. The same jacket that had been missing since before his body was discovered. I could only assume at the time that the blood it was covered in belonged to Jason Blossom.

I still remember everything that came after that so clearly that it felt like it happened yesterday, not ten years ago.

I remember finding the USB with the video of Clifford Blossom shooting his son in the head before leaving him in a basement somewhere to be cleaned up by two men in Serpent jackets.

I remember having to be interrogated for hours just to prove I really did find the information. Lucky for me, I had never been known to lie before and years of putting on a mask to hide my true emotions finally paid off. They believed me. They all did. No one doubted me for a second. Not even Alice "Bloodhound" Cooper suspected that anything was amiss.

A lot of good going to the police with the information on the killer's true identity did in the end though. Clifford Blossom hung himself that night before Sheriff Keller could arrive and that poor innocent man was still sent to prison anyway for his part in covering up the crime.

Even after it was discovered that Clifford Blossom had threatened the man that if he didn't help he would kill his children and his wife. I asked myself, what man wouldn't do anything to save his family?

I was so angry at what I saw as a complete injustice that I just felt like I had to do something. Shake up this town and maybe knock some sense into them. Then I found the perfect opportunity to do that very thing. I was asked to speak at the 75th Riverdale Jubilee by Mayor McCoy herself and was to be even given a special citizens award for solving the murder. I knew that it was my chance to make a difference, even just a small one.

I made a plea to the town not to hold to the same discriminations that had plagued our town for years. To show mercy on a man who was only trying to protect those he loved. To not hold the entire Blossom clan responsible for the sins of the father. I begged them to heal, to come together, and to do better.

Everyone remained silent until a dark figure in the doorway at the back of the auditorium started to clap and everyone followed suit. I really thought I made a difference, that I got through to them.

But that never happened. It seems that even sweet, innocent Betty Cooper couldn't purify the darkness and hate in this town.

That man - who I later found out through press coverage was named Forsythe Jones Jr. - was sentenced to ten years in prison for his part in the clean-up of Clifford Blossom's mess. That is also how I learned that his family had been in Toledo, Ohio for about ten years at the time of his arrest and he had not seen them in at least 8 of those years.

It didn't make me feel any less for him though, I was still just as heartbroken for his family. I know that no matter how far away I am from my family, I would do anything to protect them. Honestly, I didn't even think less of him when I learned he was known as the Serpent King - leader of a notorious motorcycle gang known as the Southside Serpents in Riverdale.

I knew my parents had some vendetta against them but I tutored kids at Southside High three days a week from my freshman year up until my graduation and I never had issues with them at all. They were actually nice and kept me safe when I was there helping kids with their school work.

I never told anyone other than Veronica anything about actually being friendly with any of the Serpents because I knew how they'd react. Especially Archie or the Bulldogs because I knew they would freak out and that was one headache I simply didn't need.

All of them except Reggie seemed to have issues with the Serpents and I never could figure out why. Archie hated them most of all. I never really pushed the subject either so I guess that part was on me.

I just let my secret life at Southside High be one of my many secrets that I never let Archie be a part of. Somethings were just for me and I didn't want anyone else to be a part of them.

Even now, years later, I still chuckle a bit when I think back to the signature of the real person who blew the lid off that investigation. _Deep throat... This person is still intriguing to me. I wish I knew who they were. _I thought as I walked along the sidewalk in the brisk January afternoon.

Sadly though, I never found out who they were. But, I also didn't follow their instructions; I never got rid of the note. I told myself that it was just in case something happened when in reality I wanted to keep it in case I ever found out who this person was.

When I shook the thoughts of the past from my mind, I realized I must have been in a daze the whole way here. I looked up to see that I was standing in the driveway that separated the Cooper's residence from the Andrews'.

I started to feel anxious as I stared up at my old home, a chill running down my spine. However, I didn't want to stand here too long for fear that Fred might see me and try to make awkward chit-chat so I sped up and jogged the rest of the way up to my parent's front door.

Taking a deep breath to prepare for the seventh circle of hell that was my childhood, I steadied my resolve and knocked firmly three times. _Here goes nothing..._ I could hear muffled voices and footsteps making their way to the door before it was suddenly flung open by the evil one herself.

"Mom," I said curtly, head held high and never breaking her gaze.

"Elizabeth? What in heaven's name are you doing beating on the door at nine o'clock at night for? You nearly gave your poor father a heart attack," she huffed, her face remaining stern. I could hear my muffled father's voice calling from the kitchen from behind her.

"Don't believe a word of it, Betty! I was perfectly fine, it's your mother here that almost hit the ceiling when you knocked," he laughed, receiving a dirty look from my mother.

"You should have seen her, Betty. She looked like one of those cats in those old cartoons- you know, the ones you scare and they jump so high that they are left clinging to the roof! I think if your mother had bigger claws she'd probably be clinging to the ceiling too," my dad had tears in his eyes from laughing so hard at my mother's expense.

"If I had claws any bigger, Hal, I would have already clawed your eyes out," my mother glared at him again, causing my dad to flinch slightly.

Alice Cooper never did like being teased. She had always been hard as nails, never taking crap from anyone, not even when she was running all those stories about the Southside and received death threats because of them. I think that maybe one of the reasons why she was so hard on me and Polly. She wanted us to be like her: cold and ruthless, taking no crap from anyone.

Polly was like that before her disappearance -or at least she pretended to be. Polly, unlike myself, wanted nothing more than to be just like our mother. I never could, it just wasn't in me, wasn't my disposition. You know... because I actually have a heart but that is neither here nor there.

"I'm sorry if I scared anyone, I didn't mean to. And I know I probably should have called first. It's just that Veronica and I got back into town today and after we spent a few hours at Pop's, I thought maybe I would stop by and let you guys know I was here. Maybe catch up a bit before I go back to The Pembrooke to start unpacking the apartment?" I said, trying to sound nonchalant about the whole thing. I closed my fist, anticipating whatever was to come when Alice finally spoke.

"Oh, Betty dear. I really hope you didn't eat too many of those useless calories at that grease pit," she shook her head at me, giving me a disappointed look.

"I know you love that place, honey but you need to watch what you eat if you want to keep that figure of yours. You aren't getting any younger and if you want to find a man to take care of you, you need to maintain a suitable figure to catch the right eye," I could feel my anger starting to rise already and I haven't even been in this house for more than five minutes.

"Seriously Alice, I don't need your input on either of the subjects you just mentioned. My doctor says I am at a perfectly healthy weight," _No thanks to you,_ I thought to myself, "And I'm 25, not an old maid. Yes, I'm getting divorced. And yes, Archie left me for a younger woman. But Archie would have left me for any woman with a warm body and a pulse, regardless of age. You know it as well as I do," I am so angry with her at this point that I am wondering why the hell I didn't just let Veronica come with me after all.

"Sorry dear, I was only trying to be helpful. So, what will you be doing for work now that you are not going to be taking that amazing job that was practically handed to you? Oh- and Elizabeth, before you ask, we don't have the funds for a new staff member at The Register," she stated matter-of-factly.

"Well, if you must know, I do still have my job writing for Click-feed. And Pop Tate has already offered me my old job back any time I want it. Plus, with Veronica opening her boutique and Hermione letting us have the apartment rent-free, I think I will survive- somehow," I said sarcastically, internally rolling my eyes at my mother. No matter how long I had been away from home, she still treated me like a child.

"Well, if you think that is for the best dear. I just hate to see you waste that expensive education on a waitressing job and online dribble," she quipped. I take that as my cue to leave, having had about all the Alice Cooper I could take for one evening.

"Well _mother_, this was a delightful visit - really it was - but I really need to go help Veronica unpack the apartment. I will call you once I get settled in. Bye dad, mom," I said through clenched teeth, wearing that 'Cooper smile' I had perfected in high school. As I stand to leave I hug my parents and exchange goodbyes, stepping outside as fast as I can to start walking towards The Pembrooke.

_I haven't even been here 24 hours and I already want to scream. Who the hell does she think she is anyway?!_ I huffed under my breath before hearing a cough to my left that makes me freeze. I already knew who it was and I had been dreading this meeting since I decided to move back to Riverdale. I steadied myself, taking a deep breath before I turn to greet him.

"Hello, Fred. I wasn't expecting to see you- um, so soon. I hope you are well. And Mary too," I said as politely as possible, not knowing how much he knew or how he felt about it.

"Betty, honey, you don't have to be that way with me. Nothing about our relationship has changed in my opinion," he started to walk down the front steps towards me, reaching out to embrace me.

"I watched you grow up, watched you fall in love with and marry my only child. For that reason alone, I will always see you as the daughter I never had. I can see the hurt that Arch has caused you and I wish I could have stopped him from making the biggest mistake of his life," he hugged me close and rubbed my back loving. I couldn't do anything more than break down and cry, letting the remaining tears I had for Archie fall.

"Shh, it'll be okay, Betty-Boop. You are still part of my family, you always will be. Nothing could make me love you any less, not even my idiot son. Now, let's get in the truck and I will take you home. Hermione's place, right?" I nodded and couldn't help but chuckle to myself, not only at the fact he called Archie an idiot but also at the nickname.

Fred gave me that nickname as a little girl, back when I used to run around in pigtails chasing a little freckled redhead around the back yard. I hopped up into Fred's truck, feeling relieved that at least there was no awkwardness between us and that I still have _some_ of my family intact.


	5. Chapter 4: Atomic Blonde

_**~Three Months Later~**_

After what seemed like the longest and busiest three months of my life, I finally had everything unpacked and my life in Riverdale was completely set and on track. I had been doing well therapy sessions with my new therapist and taking the meds they had prescribed. All in all, everything seemed to be going great for me so far.

Even if Archie has constantly tried to fight the divorce, citing that I had no proof of his infidelity now that it has come out the Melanie lied about the pregnancy to force Archie to leave me, Kevin has not let it be challenged.

I honestly laughed when I heard the news that his little mistress had pulled the wool over his eyes. He tried calling me at the Pembrooke and left messages with Andre begging me to come back but I tossed them into the fireplace and kept moving forward with the divorce. He did me a favor by showing me what a horrible marriage we had, there's no way in hell I would go back to that life now.

It had been really refreshing to get back into my old life and routine here in the town that I grew up in, even if I have been mostly busy working two jobs. I still try to do as many freelance editorial jobs as possible to have extra money and to add to my portfolio but mainly I am the new head waitress at Pop's Chocklit Shoppe. It really was the most surreal thing to be working back at the old job I held in high school. Seemed like my life had come full circle somehow.

Regardless, I was really very lucky that Pop was kind enough to give me back my old position, even after being gone for almost a decade. The other employees don't seem to mind either, so that is a plus and since Pop doesn't use tips to pay his staff, there isn't anyone fighting to get a better cut at the end of the night. We all got along and I have some of the most awesome co-workers (a few I even went to school with). There was Nancy Clayton - nee Woods - and Trula Twyst, our typical morning and mid-shift girls who only worked part-time while they were working on their Master's degrees online.

Nancy had married Chuck Clayton shortly after graduation and they had settled down in a lovely little two-story house. Chuck took over coaching duties at Riverdale High after getting his degrees in Sports Medicine so that Nancy could go to school full-time and one work when she needed the cash. Nancy and I had remained friends after high school - in fact, Archie was a groomsman at their wedding - but neither of them treated me any differently now that Archie and I weren't together. They knew the circumstances of the divorce and helped to support me through this time.

Trula hadn't changed much over the years and I had forgotten how sweet she was back when we were kids. She stayed in Riverdale after graduation to go to school at Riverdale University to help take care of her sickly mother. She was awarded scholarships and helped supplement her mother's monthly checks by working at Pop's when she could.

We also had a normal overnight worker named Adam Chisholm, who was in Polly's graduating class that was getting ready to go on leave for the next twelve weeks. He was married to another girl I knew from Riverdale High, Ginger Lopez, and she had just given birth to a beautiful baby girl named Angel not two days ago. Adam came by the diner during my last shift to show us girls photos of Ginger and little Angel and she was just the cutest thing ever. I was so excited to be apart of these people's lives again after all these years.

There was one worker that I hadn't gotten the chance to meet just yet whose name I didn't recognize from back in the old days. I was fairly certain Pop said her name was JB and she was the normal head waitress, although he said it would be a few months before she was going to be back to work because she has been on vacation to see her Mom in Oregon - _or maybe it was Ohio_ \- I really couldn't remember which one.

Just a few weeks ago, Pop asked me if I would be willing to switch over to night shifts primarily until Adam returned from paternity leave. Pop had been working himself ragged and he was hoping to have a steady night-shifter so that he and Mrs. Tate could have their evenings together during the week. It really didn't bother me in the slightest, if I'm being honest.

I was completely fine with the arrangement seeing as most nights at Pop's were slow anyway and it was only four nights a week which would still allow me to have my weekends off. Granted, it's not like I had much of a social life to speak of currently so I took the shifts from him without hesitation.

It did make me a little nervous sometimes being the only one working in the diner overnight since I am there alone from 11 pm until 6 am but - so far - I haven't had any issues. It helps that we currently have a limited menu at the diner during those hours so it's mostly just me making cold sandwiches, dishing out pie and hot coffee, or making the occasional basket of fries with someone's milkshake.

And truthfully, doing overnight shifts were actually doing good for me since I had been having trouble sleeping lately. That's the thing about sleeping alone after years of having a spouse, you get so used to the other person being there that when they aren't, it causes you to have insomnia. It was just one more adjustment I never thought I would have to make at this stage of life.

However, the upside to working here in the dead of night was that it gave me plenty of down-time to work on my articles in peace and quiet, allowing me to essentially kill two birds with one stone. And best of all, it ensured that I wouldn't run into Alice Cooper anytime soon. I had been dodging her calls and texts after that disastrous homecoming we had and I was loving the fact that I had a valid excuse not to see her. When she was awake, I was either sleeping or out running errands with Veronica or working on the divorce papers with Kevin. When I was at work, she had already taken her sleeping pills and was blissfully passed out for the night. And I made sure to tell her that my weekends were strictly for 'B&V' time per Veronica's demands so she hadn't been able to catch me on those days either.

I did sort of feel bad that I hadn't been completely honest with her about why I wasn't coming around or calling her back, since I do see my dad some weekends without her knowing, but I just can't bring myself to be around her yet. Not after how she treated me when I came home. Dad and I would usually meet up when Alice goes out of town for work, that way I didn't have to deal with the drama or lectures from my Mother. He understands why I don't want to see her and he supports me on that decision. Hell, I'm pretty sure if he could he would run screaming for the hills by now.

When I did get a chance to hang out, I would come over and help him with the new project car that he had purchased. I was a tiny bit out of practice since the only car I was allowed to work on was the car I had that died on me and it wasn't a classic like this one was. Archie never really liked me working on our cars too much - felt that a _professional_ should work on them - so this had been very cathartic for me. It felt like I was slowly starting to get another part of myself back and it felt amazing. I had completely forgotten just how much I loved being in my greasy overalls and working on old engines with my Dad.

Most days when we would take breaks from working on the car, Fred would invite me over for coffee or even just to chat and catch up on how I was doing. He would still try to apologize to me for the way everything ended with Archie but I would always tell him it was not his fault and Archie was a grown man who could responsibility for his own actions. It was kind of sad that Fred made me feel supported in a way that Alice never really did. Right now, dealing with her was just as toxic as dealing with Archie and I am trying to rebuild my life. I can't have that toxicity around me right now.

Not if I want to be happy again.

Tonight was the first Friday night that I didn't have anything going in what seemed like a month and all I could do was sit on my bed and stare at the book I was attempting to read on my phone, completely bored out of my mind. There wasn't much for a single twenty-five-year-old to do here in sleepy old Riverdale other than to see a movie or hit up the few clubs around town and for the first time since the split, I found myself actively wondering if I would ever find someone again.

_I mean... I'm smart, beautiful, and funny... aren't I? I'm a good catch, right? But am I really one of those women who needs to depend on a man for what she needs to survive? Do I really want to risk getting hurt again like I did with Archie? And do I honestly want to end up with a guy like Archie again? A man who wants a perfect wife with the perfect image when I don't want to be that girl anymore?_ My thoughts were shaken loose by a soft knocking on my bedroom door.

"Come in," I called out, looking up to see Veronica's smiling face staring back at me.

"Hey B, I just got a call from Cheryl inviting us to go out with her tonight. Apparently, she has a new girlfriend who - get this - is a **Serpent**! Scandalous right?! Anyways, she heard we haven't really had the time to go out much and just let loose and have fun, so she wanted to invite us out. I already promised her we would meet them for drinks tonight... whatcha say, B?" Veronica was practically bouncing out of her skin with excitement - she never likes turning down an invite for a night out - so what else could I say to that?

It does sound like fun but I don't know if I really want to be a fifth wheel with the happy couples right now. Especially with all my self-doubting thoughts that were going through my head as of late. "I don't know, V-..."

"Bettykins, you know I love you but you need to loosen up. You are always working or fixing your dad's car and you promised me some B time," she stuck her perfectly painted bottom lip out and gave me a sad look. "Please, B? How about this? What if we just call this a 'divorce party' and we get hammered, dance, and play pool all night? Just like the old days, what do you say? Please, please, please?!"

I broke out in a grin knowing that there was no way I could ever tell Veronica Lodge no when she gave me that damned look. I giggled behind my hand and finally gave in to her begging. "You know what, let's do it! It's Friday night and I don't have anything else to do. I deserve to get plastered and have a little fun with my friends. That ginger bastard can go to the devil for all I give a damn!"

"And, who knows B, maybe you'll meet a hot Serpent of your own who will make you forget all about stupid old Archie Andrews?" Veronica suggested, wiggling her eyebrows as I threw a pillow in her direction.

"Yeah Ronnie, **not** gonna happen but thanks for the vote of confidence," I chuckled and rolled my eyes, starting to dig through my closet for a decent outfit. Veronica pulled me out of the closet and shook her head.

"Trust me, B. Once I get finished with you, someone will _definitely_ be taking you home tonight," she winked, grasping my hand and dragging me down the hall to her closet instead.

I knew from that look she had in her eyes that night was about to get interesting...

"Ronnie, babe... When you said we were meeting Cheryl and her new lady for drinks, I didn't think you meant here!" Reggie whined, staring at the large sign that read **The** **Whyte Wyrm**.

Just from looking at the building from the outside, it looked like any of your run of the mill, nondescript bar. You wouldn't know that there was any difference in this bar from any other small-town bar.

Except...

There was one _tiny_ detail that made The Whyte Wyrm stand out from all the other bars: the parking lot.

The parking lot was dark and gritty, just like the majority of the patrons of this establishment. All along the front and side of the building, you can see lines of motorcycles and groups of tough-looking bikers smoking in scattered groups.

The building and its occupants gave off a strong vibe that this was not a place for Northsiders like us. And - to top it off - it would seem that every Serpent in the Southside was here tonight.

"Geez, lighten up Reg! They're just a bunch of bikers, they won't bite. Cheryl promised that it was cool and Toni already vouched for us. Said something about knowing Betty already and since she is also Cher's cousin, that family was always welcome," Veronica gave me a sideways glance, gauging to see my reaction.

"Wait, what?" I looked at Veronica questioningly but she just shrugged before turning back towards Reggie.

Did I hear her correctly? How does Cheryl's girlfriend know me? I racked my brain trying to think of any Toni at Southside High that I could have possibly tutored but I couldn't think of anyone at the moment.

Reggie was still looking a bit nervous about being us here, but Ronnie had this uncanny ability to calm him like no other. She could turn any man into butter, to be honest.

Myself, however? Well, I was a twisted bundle of nerves just at the thought of entering this forbidden place. Especially with the knowledge that I am not as much of a stranger to these people as all my friends think that I am.

Veronica was the only person who even remotely knew that there was more to my tutoring then I let on, but even she couldn't dream up the full truth: the Serpents were my bodyguards when I tutored kids. They kept me safe every time I entered and left Southside High.

When I was a little girl, my Mom would tell me all of these horror stories about life for people growing up on the Southside, how dangerous the Southside Serpents were, and that I was to never go near them ever.

I knew she was using that horror stories about growing up on the Southside to try to scare me but it just proved to intrigue me all the more. That was one reason why I agreed to tutor at Southside High. I wanted to see how dangerous it really was, to see if there was anything to the stories she told us as kids.

And what I found didn't actually scare me at all. In fact, I was drawn to the Southside even more. Being there fed into the dark part of me that I had never let anyone see. **Not even Archie**. I knew he would never have been able to handle the blackness that I kept hidden away under all of the happy smiles and bubblegum pink facade.

I never let that part of myself show through, no matter how much it wanted to rise to the surface. I never dared venture too far onto the wrong side of the tracks for fear of what may be unleashed. What the real Betty Cooper would look like if the darkness was freed.

Because of the Serpents, I knew that - at Southside High - I was safe. However, there were far more dangerous things then the Serpents that lurked in this part of town. They all warned me back then to never come without one of them escorting me and that I was only to come to the school, never anywhere else. And especially not at night.

Now here I am, grown-up Betty Cooper, standing in front of this sketchy-looking building at 10 pm and trying to mentally prepare myself to enter the belly of the beast.

I couldn't help but think about what my mother would say if she saw what I was about to do. _Elizabeth, these people are criminals and scum! You need to be a good girl and come back to the Northside before bad things happen._

I held my head high and with one last deep breath, I cast my mother's words aside and psych myself up. _You can do this, Betty. You are not that perfect little girl, remember that!_

As we make our way to the front door of the bar, I couldn't help but tug at the hem of the tight leather mini skirt Veronica insisted that I wear tonight. It was absolutely the shortest skirt I had ever worn in my entire life and my cheeks flushed just thinking about what people might see.

It was terrifying and thrilling all at the same time.

She paired the skirt with a shimmery silver backless halter top, which left very little to the imagination while also ensuring that I could not wear a bra. I decided to wear my black leather jacket and thigh-high boots, completing my new look.

In this outfit, I definitely don't feel like myself but felt like the person I should have always been. That girl who was leather and darkness, the one that hides under pink sweaters and cardigans, who was asking to claw her way out.

I never dared to be this bold with my look before and I honestly wasn't sure what the reaction was going to be, but I hoped that it was going to be good.

As we reached the oversized red door to the bar, I held my breath and waited for whatever was on the other side of this door.

_Here goes nothing_...

Have you ever seen those movies where a stranger walks into a saloon or bar and everything just stops?

Like the talking... drinking... hell, even the music comes screaming to a halt and everyone's eyes are fixed on the invading stranger?

Well, let me tell you, this is a thing that actually happens in real life. I knew this to be true because I was currently standing at the entrance to The Whyte Wyrm with Reggie and Veronica beside me, all eyes trained on us. It was quite terrifying, to say the least.

It was as if we were being sized up by an angry mob, ready to run us down with pitchforks and torches if need be. I really shouldn't have been surprised, the Northside and Southside of Riverdale had never gotten along well in the past. I am secretly hoping to help change that fact, especially since my only cousin is dating a Southsider.

I swallowed nervously, waiting to move from the spot I stood frozen in until I could figure out what exactly to expect next. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed a flash of fiery red, quickly followed by baby pink.

"Resume your regularly scheduled debauchery people, Blondie here is family, in more ways when one," said a commanding - yet feminine - voice. I grinned happily, knowing full well who that voice belonged to.

Cheryl Blossom - the HBIC herself - strolled down the stairs from the second floor of the bar, holding hands with a petite woman with flowing pink and brown hair. Both ladies were dressed like walking sin and seemed completely infatuated with the other.

Staying true to the Blossom aesthetic, Cheryl had on a very short, form-fitting blood-red dress with a matching leather jacket. Her crimson lips perfectly completed the look and somehow seemed to make her skin seem even paler - if that is even possible.

Toni on the other hand, now she was the type of woman I expected to see in a place like The Wyrm. With her black bra underneath her sheer top blacktop, hot pink boy shorts, and black fishnets paired with combat boots, she definitely screamed _**biker chick**_. She was sexy but still a bit scary at the same time.

As they finally make their way through the crowds of people, I was suddenly overcome with so much emotion that I broke away from the group to meet her halfway.

"Cheryl! Oh my God, I can't believe it's really you!" I said, embracing Cheryl and squeezing her tightly as I whispered into her shoulder, "I missed you so much, Cher."

"I've missed you too my darling cousin, Betty." She whispered back while stroking my hair. "I was so heartbroken to hear about the unpleasantness you had to endure at the hands of that miscreant, Archie Andrews." She rubbed my back as she spoke softly. As she pulled away, she grabbed the other woman's hand - who I assumed was Toni - and pulled her closer before speaking again.

"B, you just say the word. TT and I are more than willing to make damn sure that-that sorry son of a bitch you are cutting loose will **never** tap anyone else's maple tree again. We Blossoms stick together. Blood is blood and I am willing to spill his for you," she said confidently.

_Well, Cheryl is obviously taking this about as well as I am,_ I laughed to myself at her ire.

Honesty, I think she feels about as betrayed as I do on this one. Cheating on and mistreating her flesh and blood, well... that was a no-no in Cheryl Blossom's book of cardinal sins.

"Really Cher, it's fine. Honestly, just knowing that my friends and family are willing to commit felonies on my behalf is touching enough!" I giggled, feeling so much more at ease than I did a few moments ago.

I began to feel like tonight was going to bring in big changes in my life.  
_And who knows, maybe I might be ready to consider Veronica's earlier suggestion after all..._

Before I could change my mind and run back out the front doors, we made our way into the bar and put in our drink orders. We found a booth in the back near the pool tables - in case we want to claim one quickly if we decide to play - and sat down.

While we were waiting for our first round of drinks to arrive, I began to really notice just how warm it was inside of this bar. I moved to take my off my coat (secretly thanking Veronica for choosing a skimpy outfit for me) and placed it behind me on the back of my chair, instantly feeling cooler.

I looked out into the sea of leather and checked out faces to see if I know anyone. I didn't recognize anyone right off the bat but I soon started to feel all sorts of eyes on me, watching me closely. I felt like I am a piece of prime rib in a room full of hungry lions.

It was a feeling I had not felt in a very long time, if ever before. _I think I might need to have a word with V about my wardrobe when we get home. My therapist did say I should find what makes me feel more comfortable in my own skin so a full makeover might just be what the doctor ordered._

Blushing at the thought of who might be watching me, I decided to shake off the butterflies with some shots of vodka that Toni ordered for the table. When our cocktails finally arrived, we all started sipping our drinks while Cheryl decided it was her duty to spill all the latest in Riverdale gossip.

Normally this task would have fallen to Kevin, but given that he was otherwise occupied this evening - having to stay in the office late to work on my divorce proceedings - Cheryl took up his mantle for the night.

_I am so gonna owe him big time for this._

I already knew that most of the old gang was still kicking around town and that some had left town only to return for one reason or another - like myself. However, there were a few people who had managed to leave town and stay gone for good.

Ethel Muggs was living in Greendale and was engaged to some kid named Harvey. She met him at this alternative bookstore down there while looking for books on essential oils or something. Cheryl said things seemed to be going great for them but apparently he has a kid and his ex has been a real _witch_ and was giving them issues.

Dilton Doiley was just one conspiracy theory away from being a certified doomsday prepper. He spent most of his time walking up and down the Appalachian Trail, 'living off the land' or something like that.

_Always knew he had it in him to turn all 'creepy mountain man', especially after stumbling upon his bunker Senior year... _I shivered at the memory.

Lastly, after years of small gigs and opening spots for bigger acts up the coast, Josie and the Pussycats _finally_ got signed to a major label! They already booked interviews with Rocking Stone, Modern Miss Online and Click-feed. _I can't wait to write that article! _

They are also hitting the road this coming summer for their first tour as a headliner and Josie has promised that they will make a stop in Riverdale when they are headed to NYC...

After a few more minutes of gossiping - and a good starter buzz - I start to lose count of all the goings-on. Everyone seems to be doing their own couple things now, leaving me alone at the table. I started really feeling the music so I closed my eyes and started to sway my head to the beat when I felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.

I freeze mid-sway, knowing without even opening my eyes that someone was watching me. My stomach began doing somersaults and I didn't know whether I should look or not. I gathered my courage and slowly opened my eyes to meet the gaze of the most beautiful man I had ever seen.

He had semi-short messy obsidian hair with curls that cascaded over his eyes, making me want to run my fingers into them. His olive skin was speckled with tiny clusters of beauty marks that started on his face before running down the expanse of his neck and under his shirt. His jawline was so sharp I could almost feel it cut me as I imagined running tongue along it.

He was dressed in dark loose-fitting jeans and a white tank with a leather jacket hugging his trim frame.  
I could see he wore suspenders hanging loosely under the dark flannel he had tied around his waist and he had on heavy-looking black combat boots.

My thighs rubbed together, imagining all the dirty things I could get into with a man like that. He was most definitely a Serpent and he looked like he could most definitely be dangerous. But there was just something about his eyes that wouldn't let me look away.

They were the most beautiful, piercing blue eyes, like the color of the deepest, darkest parts of the ocean. The kind of eyes that, if you looked into them long enough, you would get lost in them completely - like they longed for me to get lost in them. It was almost like being hypnotized by a ravenous snake just before it devoured you.

And yet, there is also something that seemed so familiar about his eyes. Like I had stared into them before. They felt so familiar, in fact, that it was almost as if I had been searching for them all my life and didn't even know about it until now. Like they were drawing me in and calling me home.

The intense feeling made my breathing start to hitch in my chest and my heartbeat pounds louder in my ears. Unable to break his gaze, I felt heat beginning to pool deep down in my belly, thinking of the ways I'd let this snake devour me if he wanted. I squeezed my thighs together again at the thoughts, seeking some small relief.

He could obviously see how affected I am by his gaze because suddenly he winks and gives me a sexy smirk.  
I am instantly snapped back to reality and I glanced down quickly to gather my wits. My face burned bright red in embarrassment, knowing that he had caught me checking him out so blatantly.

I took a few deep breaths and once I have calmed my nerves, I looked up only to see that he was no longer standing there watching me. I searched all around where he had been standing and even across the bar but I never caught a glimpse of the eyes I was searching for. I felt a pinch of disappointment in my chest, having hoped that I could get another chance to look at his beautiful face.

However, I didn't get to be disappointed for too long before the ladies decided it was time to drag me onto the dance floor to work off some of my stress. Reggie graciously agreed to sit back and enjoy the show so that I could dance with Veronica and not some random stranger.

With the beat pounding in our ears, Veronica and I start dancing seductively with one another.  
Swaging and grinding to the rhythm of the music, laughing at the look of shock on Reggie's face as we did. Really, this was nothing new for Veronica and me.

Back in high school, whenever Kevin would insist that we come with him to the club, we would often cling to each other in the hopes that no one would hit on us or try to get in our pants. So, yeah... _sometimes_ that meant for a lot of 'questionable' dancing - and even a little kissing - just to prove a point to anyone who tried to catch either of us in a lie.

It wasn't really a big deal for us. It was never more than two besties protecting each other from sleazy guys who got handsy. We never told anyone, it was just a little secret between us and Kevin. I never even told Archie about it after we were married because I knew he'd get jealous.

And judging by the look on Reggie's face, Veronica never mentioned it to him either. After a few laughs, a couple more drinks, and a lot more dancing we decided to take a break.

Reggie wasted no time, grabbing her hand and practically dragging Ronnie to the bathrooms. _Ew... _

Meanwhile, Cheryl disappeared upstairs with Toni, leaving me to sit here all alone. Again.

I didn't see much of a point in staying at such a large table for just myself since I could almost guarantee that they were all going to be occupied for a while, so I grabbed my things and walked up to the bar.

Disappointment started to creep in once again, making me realize how lonely I really was. I decided I would order one more cranberry vodka before calling it a night and getting a cab back to my apartment. _Maybe I can call Andre to pick me up? It might save me a few bucks._

As I waited for my drink, I felt an arm winding its way across my lower back in an attempt to grip my hip.  
I spun around only to come face to face with the scariest looking man I think I have ever seen.

I smelled of cheap beer and cigarettes wafting off of him as he gave me a sinister grin, showing off his yellowed teeth. I tried to pull away but he wrapped his arms further around me, holding me in place between him and the bar top. His grip on me was so tight that I could actually feel bruises beginning to form where his fingers had dug into my skin.

"Hey sexy, I saw how you were dancing out there earlier," he slurred as he pulled me closer, "Looked like you and your pretty friend were just askin' for an ol' good time. Since she ran off with that other fellow, how about I show you a **really** good time?"

Without waiting for me to reply, he pulled me closer to him and began to kiss my neck roughly. I struggled against his hold but no one around us seemed to notice what was happening. Or worse... Being a Northsider, they just didn't care what was going to happen to me.

When one of his hands started to climb higher up my torso and under my shirt, I knew I had to do something. I had to fight back.

I shoved him as hard as I could but it almost didn't matter. I began yelling at him, hoping someone would intervene, "Yeah, that's a resounding _**no thanks**_. I'm good. Now, I suggest you take your slimy hands off me before you end up wearing this drink! Or worse!"

He laughed in my face, knowing he was much stronger than me, so he just gripped me tighter as he chuckled. That was when I saw his eyes darken and I knew this situation was about to become very, very bad. I looked around me again but even the bartender was helping some down the other way and couldn't see what was happening.

A horrible realization came to me as I struggled to pull myself free again but he wrapped his hand around my neck, gripping it tightly and cutting off my airway. I gasped for air and clawed at his wrist as tears prick the corners of my eyes.

"Listen here, you little bitch! I said I'm gonna show you a-," his growling voice was cut off from his thoughts by a booming voice behind me on the other side of the bar.

"Hey asshole, the lady said no thanks and here in this bar, we don't let anybody lay hands on any woman. So I suggest you let her go and get the hell out of my bar before I slice you up and feed you to the strays!" The mysterious voice barked. The man's grip on my throat loosened and I coughed as I felt the air rushing back into my lungs.

Once again everything in the bar came to a dead stop and everyone turned to face our direction again. The man glanced behind me over my shoulder, eyes growing wide before he let me go fully and ran out of the bar as fast as he humanly could. Just like that, all the chatter started up and the music played again - almost like nothing had even occurred at that moment.

I stood gripping the bar, trying desperately to catch my breath and stop my body from trembling as tears threatened to fall. I grabbed my drink and downed it in one gulp, hoping to calm my frayed nerves. It was then that I felt a warm hand on my bare shoulder. I tensed slightly until I heard a soft voice whispering into my ear.

"Are you okay? Did he hurt you?" He breathed against my skin, causing goosebumps to explode across my skin in its wake. He smelled of coffee, cigarettes, and pine. I inhaled deeply, taking in his scent and committing it to memory, that action alone sending goosebumps further down my body. I felt the tingling between my legs at the same time as I felt the color creeping up to my face once again.

I turned to face my savior only to be met with those hypnotic eyes. The ones I so craved to get lost in.

_Damn, he looks even tastier close-up,_ I mused in my mind. He started to chuckle and gave me a smile. _Dammit, I think I said that out loud..._ I thought, embarrassed.

"Yeah, you did... both times actually," he smiled down at me, rubbing his thumb along my shoulder.

"Oh my God, that is so embarrassing. I guess with all the alcohol I drank tonight my brain's filter stopped working," I giggled, trying to collect myself with a smile, "I'm Betty. Betty An- Cooper, Betty Cooper."

I held my tiny hand out for him to shake but he gripped it instead, lifting it up to press soft kisses to my knuckles. My face burned crimson again at the feeling of his lips on my skin. I couldn't tell if it was his lips or the drinks affecting me but I could feel my body heat rising.

"Oh, I know who you are, Betty. You just might not remember me," he smiled, devilishly. I stared back at him, confusion evident on my face.

I knew his eyes were familiar to me but just as I started to ask him his name, my head started to spin and I felt ill. I didn't think I drank that much, especially with that scare sobering me up, so I knew something felt off.

"I'm Ju-... Betty, are you ok? Do you need some water?" He asked with a concerned look in his eyes.

My vision started to blur and my eyelids began to feel extremely heavy. I wasn't sure what exactly was happening to me but what I did know from past experience was that I was about to pass out. I gripped the bar tighter as I started to sway back and forth, hoping and praying that I can keep myself awake.

His concerned voice faded further into the darkness that threatened to take over as I let go of the bar and I felt myself stumbling into his arms.

The last thing I heard before I blackout was his gruff voice whispering, "Don't worry, Betts. I will keep you safe. You're always safe with me...I promise..."

And with that, I once again gave in to the darkness that surrounded me.


	6. Chapter 5: Now & Then

"_Juggie, Juuuugggiiieee, come over and play wifh me, pwease?!" A small blonde-haired girl excitedly waved her arms, calling out to the raven-haired boy who stood across the street from her. _

_Neither child was more than five years old but they had been best friends since they could crawl. _

_They had lived across the street from each other for their entire lives. Their parents had always been close - having also grown up together - and they all attended the same high school. It was their destiny to be best friends. _

"_I not supposed ta, Beddy," the boy said with a sigh, making the girl frown. _

"_But Mommy said I can play outside till we go see the movies! Pwease Juggie, we can look for flier flights?!" The girl clasped her hands together tightly, begging the blue-eyed boy._

_The pair had been enjoying their last summer together before they were to start kindergarten and had been busy doing all the things that best friends did at their age. Swimming, hide and seek, playing in his treehouse or her sandbox. But today it was Tuesday and Tuesday was their favorite day of the week._

_That was because Tuesday's happened to be the day of their weekly trip to the Twilight Drive-In. There they'd get to have popcorn and hotdogs and were allowed to run around holding hands, chasing all the other children who got bored with the films too quickly. _

"_Mama says I can't, Betts. She said we gotta go to the ledo. In some place called hi-o. She said we gotta go and we can't come back no more," the little boy said dejectedly, kicking the dirt at his feet and looking melancholy. This was not what the little girl had expected to hear._

"_But... if you weave Juggie, what'm I gonna do? Who will play wifh me at the dive-in? You can't go, Jug! You gotta go wifh me on the big kid bus for school! You can't weave me, Juggie!" The little girl couldn't stop the tears from falling down her cheeks as she sobbed at the news that they were leaving... that _he _was leaving _her.

_It was more than the boy could bear and he ran to the little girl and hugged her close, wrapping his slim arms around the crying little girl and squeezing her tighter._

"_Don't cry, Beddy," he whispered, hugging her with all his might, his voice muffled by her hair and trying to stop his tears from falling. _

"_You're my bestest fwiend, Juggie. What if we don't 'member each other no mores?" She cried out again. The little girl buried her face in his neck as she sobbed uncontrollably. Just then the boy's head shot up as he got an idea! _

"_Hold on, Betts, I got an idea! Stay wight here," the little boy ran to the car that was being loaded in his driveway and jumped into the back seat. He dug around for a minute, searching for the item he had placed there earlier. _

_When he found it, the little girl watched as the boy ran back across the empty street carrying a little stuffed sheepdog. _

_She knew this toy well. She has seen it several times before. It was the only toy he had that no one else but him was allowed to touch._

"_Here Betts, you can has Hot Dog so you can 'member me, m'kay?" The little boy smiled shyly as he handed his most prized possession to the little broken-hearted girl. _

"_Really, Juggie?" She sniffled, "Like for always?" The boy nodded as she took the toy from him, smiling brightly. Just then she got an idea too!_

"_Hold on, Juggie imma be back," she ran inside her house and then ran back just as quickly, holding something behind her back. She knew her mother was probably going to be angry with her, but she decided that it would be worth it for her bestest friend in the whole world._

"_My Nana Smith made dis for me but it's kinda too big for my head. Plus, it looks more like it's for a boy so I want you to has it, Juggie. But it's a secret tho, just 'tween me and you," she pulled her hand out to present the boy with his gift._

_A grey beanie, knitted into the shape of a crown. Taking the hat from her tiny hand, the little boy was completely overcome with emotions. He knew that it was a birthday gift that her grandmother had made for her. When she opened it and he saw it, he couldn't stop talking about how much he wanted one just like it._

"_Are you sure, Betts?" He whispered while clutching the hat in his hands._

"_Yes Juggie, I know how much you liked it. And 'member when we would play in your treehouse? You would be the prince who saves me from the evil witch? Well, now you has a crown to show everyone you're my prince," she smiled sweetly at him, tears building in his eyes again._

"_I loves you, Betts. I'mma miss you. I promise, when I am all growed up, imma come back to get you. I won't forget you, Beddy," he clung to the girl, getting one last hug in as he heard his mother calling for him._

"_I loves you too, Juggie," she hugged him back even harder, never wanting to let go. When they finally pulled apart, she took the hat from the boy's hands and placed it on his head, giggling at the giant size of it over his dark curls. _

"_My prince," she whispered and kissed the little boy quickly, right on the lips. _

_He barely has time to react before his mother came to collect him, scolding him while dragging him back across the street by his arm._

"_I told you boy, __**stay away from her**__. I swear to God boy, why can't you ever listen to me for once!? That girl is gonna be __**trouble**__, just like her __**mother**__..." she mumbled to the boy, staring daggers at the tiny blonde girl who was left standing in shock._

_Both children were crying by this point, neither understanding why this was happening to them. The boy was placed in the car, helpless as he watched the little girl sinking to the grass and sobbing harder._

"_Bye princess, I'll come back someday... Promise..." he whispered as they drive away to his new life. _

_A life away from the blonde princess. His best friend, the one he loves, the one he doesn't want to leave behind._

I woke up from the dream I was having with a shot, clutching my chest and sobbing uncontrollably. It all felt so real, the little girl's pain, the love she felt for the boy, the sorrow that never seemed to end. My head was pounding and I couldn't seem to stop the tears from falling as I desperately tried to regulate my breathing.

I knew the throbbing pain in my head wasn't the only reason for the tears.

This wasn't the first time I'd had this dream, or others similar to it but with happier endings. However, I have had this same particular dream several times a month since as far back as I can remember. And every time, I wake up in tears feeling so much sorrow and loss that my heartbreak just tears me to pieces.

Like the only thing I had ever loved was stolen from me.

I asked Alice and Hal on several different occasions if the dream meant anything or if they remembered the little boy with raven hair but they'd always brush it off and change the subject. All they would ever say was that it was just a dream, hand me Hot Dog to keep me company (they always told me Nana Smith had given me the plush puppy) and then they'd tell me to go back to bed.

As I got older, I just chalked it up to a strange dream and didn't think about it much more than that. I accepted what they told me as fact and didn't ask ever again.

The dream itself always seemed vivid and lifelike but it couldn't have been real. Seriously, who names their kid Juggie?

I wiped my eyes again - hoping to stop the tears - when I finally noticed that I was not in my own bed like I should have been. I glanced around the bedroom, taking in the dark walls that were covered in classic movie posters and shelves filled with hundreds of books. _Whoever you are, color me intrigued..._

Then panic sets in when I glanced down, noticing that I was no longer dressed in my skimpy outfit but a soft, gray tee-shirt with an S on the front. _What in the hell happened last night?!_

I wracked my brain, trying desperately to figure out how I ended up here - wherever here was or wherever my clothes could be. I threw the blankets back and started to search around the room for my phone when I heard someone clear their throat behind me. I practically jumped out of my skin and spun around to face the doorway.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you," he said softly while leaning against the doorframe. I couldn't do anything more than gawk at him, unable to squeak any sound out. "I heard you crying so I wanted to come to check on you."

I tried to pull myself together enough to ask how I ended up here. Although, it's really hard to do that when I noticed he happened to be completely shirtless and only wearing a pair of loose-fitting pajama pants and a smile.

"Did... did we, um... you know, did we..." I stammered while looking away, flushing and not meeting his eyes. I heard the deep chuckle that escaped his lips and my body heats up again, that kindling inside me waiting to be lit. I looked up at him as he began to walk closer to me.

"Don't worry, Princess, nothing happened. That creep from the bar last night laced your drink when you weren't paying attention and you passed out. When I couldn't find your friends, I carried you up here to my apartment and asked Cheryl to help you change. She is your cousin, right?" His brow creased, giving me a questioning look before continuing.

"I thought that letting you stay here was a safer bet than trying to find out where you lived and dumping you in a cab," he scratched the back of his neck as he spoke, almost like he was just as nervous as I was.

While the thought that-that creep from the previous night could have seriously hurt me - or worse - did terrify me, I couldn't help but feel my heart fluttering at the kindness of the man standing shyly in front of me like **I** made **him** nervous.

_As if he doesn't already know he is completely gorgeous, standing there looking like some sort of greek god. How could he possibly be nervous around someone like me?_

He was tall with an athletic build, his six-pack and muscles not large but defined in all the right ways. While he is obviously in amazing shape, he was much leaner than Archie ever was. _I think I like his build much more though..._ the very thought of how _much_ I like it making my purse race.

His arms were both sleeved in beautifully ornate flowers with gothic tattoos of every kind. On his left pec, just above his heart, was the black outline of a Basquiat crown with the letters _JJ _in the center. On his right pec sat a beautiful black and gray vintage typewriter. Directly underneath that one, on the front of ribs, there was a black and gray raven in flight carrying a sprig of tiny yellow four-petaled flowers in its claws.

Running up the length of his left side was the phrase _Pulvis Et Umbra Sumus _and on his other side, it read _Memento Mori_.

However, the tattoo that really caught my eye was the hissing coiled cobra on his left front rib cage with the name Forsythe in bold underneath it. I stood frozen in recognition, eyes blown wide as he stared back at me. Without thought I stepped forward, reaching my hand out to lightly stroke the lettering along his ribs and felt his breath catch. I didn't even look at his face as he growled lightly, my eyes transfixed on the script along his ribs.

_Could it be? Is he Forsythe Jones' son? Forsythe isn't exactly a common name so he would have to be. Is he the one who sent me the evidence?_ I thought to myself as I traced my fingers up the vertebrae of the snake. I didn't even realize I was still stroking his tattoo until he lightly grabbed my wrist, bringing my hand to a standstill.

Embarrassed by my intrusion of his personal space, I attempted to pull my hand away but he held it firmly in place, rubbing his thumb across my knuckles tenderly. I nearly came unglued right there on the spot from the sensation it sent to my core. The shockwaves running through my body at his touch were intoxicating and I wondered what it would feel like to have his hands running all over my naked body.

I could feel myself growing hot again at the thoughts of his hands on me and I began to blush profusely. That was when I become _painfully _aware that I still standing here against him, hand pressed to his bare chest and without any pants on.

"Oh!" I pulled my hand out of his grip and grabbed his sheet to cover myself. I didn't think my face could get any redder, but boy was I wrong.

_Dear God, can this get more awkward!_ I thought in frustration. He chuckled and placed his finger under my chin to lift it so I was forced to look him in the eyes.

"It's okay, Betts. We're both adults here, there's no reason to be embarrassed around me," he rasped, swiping his thumb across my cheek as he stared down at my lips. Realizing he'd been caught, he cleared his throat again and dropped his hand from my face. "Well, I'm sure you have a lot of questions for me. How about I make us some breakfast and then we can talk? There are some pajama pants in the top drawer," he briefly glanced down at his tattoo where my hand had been pressed before gesturing to the dresser.

"Oh, yeah, that would be great. Just let me- wait..." I jerked my head back in his direction, "What did you just call me?" I asked, staring at him with my brow scrunched in confusion. The dream was still so fresh in my mind that I thought that maybe I had misheard him but he just smiled.

"Just get dressed Betts, this may take a while."

With one last glance, he walked away, leaving me standing there with no knowledge of what the hell was happening.

After washing my face off with warm water and rinsing my mouth out with some mouthwash that I found in his bathroom, I finally made my way out of his bedroom. I had so many questions for him, the journalist part of me itching to find out what pieces were missing to this puzzle. I had to know the truth of what was going on, no matter how insane it might have been.

I walked down the narrow hallway leading from his room, passing another bathroom and what looked to be another bedroom before I finally reached his living area. It was open and bright, windows lining the right wall, overlooking what I could only assume is the backlot of the Wyrm. Separating the spacious kitchen from the living room was a large island with a black marble top.

I could smell the brewing coffee and bacon he had cooked, realizing at that moment that I was absolutely starving. I saw him standing at the stove, humming while he cooked some scrambled eggs. I watched his back muscles contracting as he whisked the eggs in the pan and I was forced to clench my thighs together at the sight.

_Jesus Betty, pull yourself together! I know he's hot as fuck but you have a mystery to solve here!_ I scolded myself, biting my lip as my eyes trailed over his body. That was when I noticed the giant double-headed snake tattooed along the center of his back forming a giant S.

It was just like the symbol that was embroidered on the back of his Serpent jacket, except sitting on its head was a golden crown embellished with three green jewels.

Skimming along the body of the snake was the phrase _Long Live The King. _I chuckled to myself, _Let's see, so either he __**really **__likes The Lion King or that makes him..._ Then it clicked.

_Uh oh..._ I released a small gasp that must have been louder than I thought because he turned to me and winked, acknowledging my presence. He smiled as he turned and began placing the bacon and eggs on two plates that were sitting on the island. I didn't know what to say or where to even begin with my questioning so I took a seat at the island and put my hands on my lap.

He looked at me expectantly and spoke, "I know you have a lot of questions so let's eat and I will try to answer them as best I can. Okay?" He pushed a plate in front of me and continued, "Some of these things I am about to tell you I didn't even know until just a few years ago but I will do my best, okay?" His voice was so calming that I could feel my shoulders starting to relax.

I took a deep breath and all the thoughts in my head came tumbling out of my mouth in one continuous stream of word vomit.

"What do your tattoos mean? Are you Forsythe's son? Was it you that sent me Jason Blossom's coat - and if so - where did you get it from? You called me Betts... How do you know me? And how do you know about my dream? How do you know what he called me? What is-, " all the thoughts in my head continued spilling out before I can even stop it and he had to reel me back in.

"Hey, hey, one thing at a time, Betty," he laughed quietly, "Let me answer some of your questions and that should explain what some of the tattoos mean, okay?" I nodded my head, patiently waiting for him to continue.

"Well first off, yes my dad is FP Jones. I was born and lived in Riverdale until I was 5 years old before my Mom decided to drag Jellybean and I to Toledo to live with family-," before he could finish, I interrupted him.

"Jellybean?" I asked, his smile growing wider at my confusion.

"Jellybean, my baby sister. She was only a year old at the time so she doesn't remember being here, but I do. Mom always told me that my dad was a drunk who ran a gang and that she left to protect us from the life he'd spiraled into but I always felt like there was something she was leaving out. She was really vague about anything involving my dad and Riverdale. It just felt... off," He explained, turning to place our now empty plates in the sink behind him.

"The older I got, the more I started to rebel against my mom and her rules. I started wearing darker clothes, listening to heavy metal music, reading dark literature - you know, the classics - and eventually, I wanted to learn how to ride a motorcycle. God, she got so angry when she found out my friend's dad was teaching me how to ride. Said I was just like _him _and was nothing more than a disappointment in her eyes," his jaw tightened at his last statement and I knew that there was a lot of bad blood there.

"She stopped trying at that point. Said she was just waiting for me to screw up and be a drunk just like my bum of a dad. That's a lot of pressure and negativity for a fifteen-year-old kid and by the time I left she just wasn't my mom anymore. She didn't even have the decency to tell me that my dad was arrested for Jason Blossom's murder until months after it happened. That was the last straw for me. I was so angry with her at that point that I knew what I needed to do," he said sadly. "I hopped on the first bus into Riverdale to get FP's side of things. Even if he was possibly a murderer, he was still my dad and he at least deserved a chance to tell his side. Explain why mom took us and ran, why he was in jail - if all the things she told us were true or just bullshit she spouted to keep us away from the truth."

"Ironically, he really was the leader of a gang but there was one **major** lie she told us about him. He never drank when we were around," he rested his hand on mine and began to caress the back of my them with his thumbs. He let out a staggered breath before he continued, "He didn't start drinking until after Gladys took us to Ohio. Turns out he was having an affair with his highschool girlfriend and when my Mom found out she took off with us while he was at work. Just packed us up, left a note that said she knew and that he would never see any of us again and bolted," I could see the anger building in his eyes as he spoke.

"Dad was so devastated that she took us away from him that he ended up blaming it all on his mistress and drank himself nearly to death for years. He told me it wasn't just that we were gone that caused him to drink, he said he couldn't live with what he said to the other woman. He said he regrets it still to this day because she was the only woman he ever really loved," he paused briefly before continuing.

"They were madly in love, had always been but he said something happened in high school that split them up. He never said what it was but then she got married and he started dating Gladys. Dad said that he and my mom got married when she got pregnant with me and that he was happy, but he still loved the other woman. After like 8 years apart they couldn't take it any longer and started the affair."

"They knew it was wrong but they couldn't take being apart anymore. They both knew they had married the wrong people so they made plans to divorce their spouses so they could be together. But before that could happen, my mom took us and FP flipped out and just kind of self-destructed. He got drunk and told the woman he loved it was her fault, said that he wished he never loved her and that she was his biggest mistake," my heart broke at the sound of his voice trembling, almost like he could feel what she must have felt in that moment.

"He told me that after he said it he watched something break inside her, something that turned her cold, and he instantly regretted what he had done. He said he knew at that moment that he'd killed the only thing he had left so he threw himself headfirst into the Serpents and the bottle."

"He swore to me that he had made a lot of mistakes in his life but he never killed anyone. He'd just been forced to get rid of Jason's body by Clifford Blossom or else my sister and I would be next. He was terrified, he knew Blossom had the resources and would have no problem finding us," I squeezed his hand gently, hoping to comfort him in some way.

"So FP did the only thing he could at the time, he took something from the crime for insurance - just in case things went south. He had a Serpent that he could trust hide the jacket until he could play his hand and when I showed up at the jail, he knew it was time. I'd been trying to find the jacket for months - since that guy who hide it had taken off before I even got to town - and when I finally found it, I knew that Sheriff Keller would think I was just trying to get my dad out of jail with false evidence. That's where you came in, Betts," he tapped the end of my nose with his fingertip and smirked.

"I watched you back then; watched you investigate with such fierce determination, read the article you wrote about my dad's innocence. He told me that he always knew you would be in his corner, that you weren't like the other Northsiders. You had a heart for the Southside and you were the only truly pure thing left in this God-forsaken town. That was why he had the Serpents protect you anytime you ventured over to this side of town. He was fiercely protective of you," I interrupted him again once I heard that.

"Wait, FP was the reason the Serpents protected me at Southside High? But... I don't even know him, why would he-," he placed his hand over my mouth and smiled.

"He knew you, Betty, and he loved you. He wanted you to be kept safe, we both did, to be honest. That's why when I took over I had the Serpents continue to protect you," he stepped around the island and when he moved a hand to cup my cheek, I instinctively pressed into it.

"FP had so much faith in you, he knew if anyone could get the town to believe the truth that it was you. He said you would help me prove to all of them that he was innocent. After..." he paused, "um, after he got sent to prison, I went to the jubilee and heard your speech. That speech was the reason why I made the decision to take over as the leader of the Serpents until FP could get out. Make them better than they were."

"My dad and his plight are what inspired me to write a novel about the murder and everything that happened after. So, as you can see, that is what a few of my tattoos mean," he stopped and looked me deep in the eyes. It still wasn't enough information, some questions still remained and I had to know everything.

"What about the crown tattoo? And you still haven't explained how you knew about the dream. Hell, I don't even know your name yet," I studied his face closely, trying to get a read on him, trying to understand him.

"Maybe I should show you," he grabbed my hand, pulling me off the stool and back towards his bedroom. He motioned for me to sit on the bed and reached into his desk drawer, pulling out an old wool beanie. He knelt down in front of me and placed the beanie in my hands. It was faded and had a few holes but I noticed it was in the shape of a crown.

"What- how? I don't understand..." I struggled to get out a complete sentence as I held the fraying piece of wool in my hands. I take a staggered breath before asking him again, "How? How is this here? How is this real?" He smiled shyly, reaching out to caress my cheek once again.

"It's here because that wasn't a dream you were having, they were memories. More precisely they were our memories. And from what I gathered, it was our last memory together," his fingers traced my jawline as he continued, "I dreamt of it too, Betty. I dreamt of you."

"The crown is over my heart to remind me of a promise I made a long time ago to someone who was very special to me," his eyes flicker down to my lips then back to my eyes. "A promise to my princess... to you. I promised that I would come back for you and this crown has reminded me to keep that promise," He started to lean towards me slowly, so close I could feel his breath on my lips.

"What's your name?" I whispered, his lips dangerously close to mine.

"The names Jughead but you always liked to call me Juggie, Princess."


	7. Chapter 6: Before Sunrise

"Wait... Juggie? So... then you really are real? And my dreams are - in fact - _real _memories?" I asked him in a whisper, astonished by what he was saying. He was still so close to me that I couldn't think straight. I couldn't believe my parents had lied to me this whole time. _Does it really surprise you that Alice lied to you for this long about something? _I thought bitterly.

"That's exactly what I'm saying," he said with a soft smile, his eyes drifting down to my lips. I could feel his breath ghosting across them, making me tremble at his close proximity. He brought his other hand to my cheek, making me swallow thickly as he caressed both sides of my face with his fingers. "I admit, I thought about trying to find you a few times over the years but didn't know exactly what to say," Jughead said softly, seeming to stare straight into my soul with those piercing eyes of his.

My breath hitched as his hands full cupped both cheeks, his thumbs still gently stroking face. My head was swimming from his touch as I finally found the ability to speak, "I wish you would have. You have no idea how many times I wished I could meet the real person responsible for solving the murder and bringing Jason Blossom the justice he deserved. Although," I cleared my throat, leaning back away from him slightly to get some distance between us, "I hated that I couldn't do more to help your dad."

My heart continued to pound against my ribcage, threatening to burst through the skin just by being close to him. His hair fell into his eyes as he watched me, leaving my fingers with an itching desire to push them away so that I could keep looking in his deep blue eyes. I wanted to surrender my soul to his hypnotic gaze, just see where it would take us. _Would he taste as good as he looks? Would his lips leave a trail of fire on my skin as he kissed me all over? Would he-..._

I shook my head and looked away from him quickly to try to collect myself, my cheeks burning in embarrassment. "So..." I glanced back at him, biting my bottom lip before I continued, "What now?"

I heard him chuckling huskily as he stepped up to stand beside me, my core involuntary clenching at the rich sound. He leaned in from behind me, whispering in my ear, "Well... Now I hope we can get to know each other better, Princess. See if we can be friends again. I mean, if you want that," His voice dipped low at the end, causing my heart to beat erratically in my chest, the thunderous sound flooding my ears.

I nodded languorously and licked my lips senselessly, whispering back, "I want... I _definitely _want that, Juggie." _Mayday! Mayday! Pull yourself together woman! You just met this man and already he has you mesmerized by that sexy smirk... his devastatingly good looks... his well formed-... No! Stop, breathe Betty. Breath... _My breathing is staggered as I watched him lick his lips and give me a wicked grin.

"Good, I'm glad, Princess. You have no idea how glad I am..." he whispered against my ear one last time before standing up, holding out his hand, "...none at all." He gave me an expectant look and waited for me to take his hand.

I quirked an eyebrow at him in question. "Do you trust me, Princess?" He asked, still smiling with a gleam in his eye. I knew I had only just met him - _again? _\- after over twenty years apart but I already knew, deep down, that I could trust him completely.

"Yes," I breathed heavily as I placed my palm into his hand.

"Well, come with me then, Betts. You're going to love this."

I felt the icy chill of the wind whipping around us as we race through the Southside of Riverdale and eternally grateful that he suggest I borrow some of his sister's warmer clothes instead of what I wore last night. Riding through the streets of Riverdale on the back of a motorcycle was thrilling but I didn't want to freeze to death doing so. I wrapped my arms tighter around his torso and felt his body quiver at my touch. It made my body sing with feverish yearning and made my pulse race faster than just being on his bike ever could. At first, I wasn't sure about getting on this thing but now I'm so glad I did.

_"Hell no, Jones. You are out of your damned mind if you think I am getting on the back of that thing, especially while it's still practically winter!" I exclaimed. There, sitting directly in front of me, was a beautifully restored '74 brat-style Honda CB500. It was a classic and it looked to be _very _well taken care of._

_Now under normal circumstances, I would definitely be able to appreciate this magnificent piece of machinery sitting in front of me. However, I am not trying to die on the back of it. Jughead laughed at me, straddling the seat and unlatching the helmets hooked to the handlebars._

_"Come on, Betts. Trust me, you are going to love it," he winked, shooting me that devilish grin of his, my face burning from the flush that spread across it. I secretly hoped that he wouldn't notice or maybe he'd think it was just from the nippy April air. I knew I had to get back to The Pembrooke somehow and since my phone was dead, I couldn't call V or order an uber so I needed to do something._

Live a little, Betty. This is what you wanted - a new and exciting life. Take a chance, _I thought to myself._

_" Okay, but-," he pressed his fingers to my lips and placed one of the helmets onto my head._

_"Trust me."_

I was still so deep in my own thoughts and enjoying the feeling of absolute freedom that when we finally stopped, it took me a few seconds to notice we were at Pop's Diner. I looked up at him from over his shoulder and he just shrugged at me with a boyish smile. "A boy's gotta eat, Betts. Plus, it's nearly lunchtime, so let me buy you a meal."

"Alright, you can buy me some fries and a milkshake but I'm still too full from breakfast to even **think **about eating anything else," I said with a laugh as I shook my hair loose from the helmet, noticing him staring at me from the corner of my eye as I ran my fingers through it. My face reddened again at his playful expression and I handed him the helmet without looking him in the eye.

Jughead coughed under his breath before strapping the helmets onto the bike, grabbing my hand to help me off the back of his bike. "Let's eat, Betts. I'm starving and it's been at least 24 hours since I had a Pop's burger!"

We spent the next hour or so talking about everything and nothing all at once.

Jughead told me more about growing up in Toledo with his mom and baby sister; I told him more about growing up with a person like Alice Cooper for a mother. He laughed heartily when he learned that the whole reason my dad taught me how to fix cars was so that my mother would freak out when I would come inside covered in grease. I cracked up at the story of how his sister started calling him Poe when he hit his 'dark phase' and how the raven clutching the flowers on his chest was his way of getting her back since she hates her real name, and it is the same as the flowers.

Everything seemed to be going great until he asked me the one question I'd been dreading all day long...

"So, you still married to that Andrews' guy?" He asked sheepishly, fidgeting with his straw uncomfortably. I took a deep breath and sighed heavily. I hated that I would forever be the girl who was once married to Archie Andrews but there was not a thing I could do to change that now... _God, I really need a cigarette right now... No. You promised V you'd quit..._

"Oh... Well, _technically _I am... **but **we're in the middle of divorce proceedings, so I don't consider us to be married. Things were... _complicated _at the end - to say the least. Right now he is trying to contest my reasons for filing, even though I have proof," I sipped my milkshake, trying to think of anything else to say besides the truth. I steadied my nerves, held my head high, and looked him in the eye as I spoke, "I walked in on him fucking one of his music students in our bed. To make a long story short, he thought he got her pregnant and threw me out of our house since I didn't have a job and he did. Now he is trying to fight the divorce because there was never a baby, but my lawyer won't have that. As I said, it's complicated. You can say it wasn't _exactly _how I thought our marriage would end up."

I noticed his jaw tightening as he sat silently and listened to how my marriage imploded. I smiled reassuringly at him and took his hand, "Honestly Jug, I'm just grateful that it's over now. Yeah, it hurt but it woke me up to how my life really was and where it was headed. I'd been living a lie for far too long and it showed me that it was time to be what I want to be."

"And what does Elizabeth Cooper want to be?" He questioned seriously as he sipped his coffee. I sat and pondered what it was I really wanted out of my life and only one word really came to mind. I smiled at him, squeezing his hand again before answering.

"Free. I want to be free."

We sat in Pop's talked until the sun started descending from the sky, the sky painted in hues of lavender and orange as we joked and laughed as if we had never really been apart from each other. He was in the midst of telling me a hilarious story about a friend of his and a crazy stalkerish one-night stand when we heard Jughead's phone chime. He looked at it, a puzzled expression crossing his features before he glanced up at me with the same expression.

"Hey, Betty, not to be nosy but who's Ronnie?" He asked me, hesitation clear in his tone. I was afraid he might get the wrong impressions so I quickly let him know that it was not what he was thinking.

"Oh! She's my roommate, Veronica. Remember? I told you about us having an apartment together at The Pembrooke and that she is about to open a boutique downtown? Why, is everything alright?"

"Well, Cheryl just messaged me and asked if I had seen a _smoking hot _blonde named Betty at the Wyrm in the last 12 hours. Apparently, you haven't answered Ronnie's texts and she is frantic because she can't get ahold of you," Jughead held his phone out from me to read the messages and my eyes widened.

"Shit, she doesn't know my phone's dead! Fuck- Jug, I'm so-so sorry, I gotta go! Ronnie is going to call out the army - or kill me - if I'm gone any longer," I stood up and started to walk away from the booth but his grip on my wrist stopped me in my tracks. I looked at him curiously before glancing down to see him place a napkin into my palm. It read:

_Jughead Jones_

_718-555-5252 _

"Use it, Princess," Jughead stated, kissing my knuckles gently and running his thumb across my pulse before releasing my wrist. I felt electricity running up my arm from the spot where his lips touched me, leaving my whole body flaming and my pulse erratic.

"I will. Bye, Jug," I answered, leaning down quickly to give him a delicate kiss on his cheek before racing out the door towards The Pembrooke. _Ronnie is going to kill me..._

"V? I'm back! Sorry, I'm so late, my-," Veronica rushed forward and tackled me to the floor, hugging me fiercely and practically squeezing the life out of me. I tried to escape her grasp but she remained firm in her grip and would not let go to save her life.

"Elizabeth Marie Cooper! _¿Dónde demonios has estado? ¡Pensé que estabas muerto! ¡Estaba a punto de llamar a la policía! ¿Por qué no respondiste mis llamadas o mensajes de texto?" _Veronica continued to scream obvious expletives in my ear until I was finally able to pry her off of me enough to grasp her by the shoulders.

"Ronnie, listen- Veronica!" I yelled, shaking her a bit to stop her ranting. She froze and stared at me with worried eyes, moisture starting to form in them. I sighed and pulled her back into a hug as she broke down. "V, you were screaming in Spanish again."

"I'm s-sorry, B. I-It's just that you haven't answered me all day-y and when we left the b-bar last night I couldn't find you. I didn't k-know what to think and I was s-so scared that something bad-d might've happened-d to you!" Veronica wept openly, wrapping her arms tighter around my neck. "I c-couldn't live with myself if something happened to you when I-I should have been there, B."

I held her, comforting her as she clung to me and cried into my hair. After a few minutes, she quieted down so I leaned up and wiped her cheeks with my thumbs. "Ronnie, I am **so** sorry. My phone died and I didn't think to contact you. I took an uber to Fred's last night to sleep off the hangover and spent the afternoon at Pop's just relaxing and nursing a vanilla milkshake. I'm really sorry I scared you, V. It won't happen again, I promise."

"I forgive you, B. Just don't ever scare me like that again," Veronica brushed her fingers under her eyes then smoothed down her dress before smiling at me. "However Bettykins, as penance, you are on garbage duty for the next month," she teased, helping me off the floor. I laughed at the 'punishment' she chose since I was generally the one who took the trash out to begin with.

"Alright V, seems fair. Now, how about I make it up to you by having some much-needed bestie time before you and I have to go back to work?" I called out from the kitchen, pulling the wine glasses from the cabinet.

Veronica walked to the cooler, pulling out our favorite wine before she grinned at me, "You read my mind, B."

The next few weeks rushed by in such a blur that I hardly had time to breathe, much less have any time to relax or hang out with friends.

I worked my two jobs to the best of my ability, kept fighting with Archie and his attorney to get the ball rolling on our divorce, stayed home most days that I was off to get some needed sleep and actively avoided my family - with the exception of Cheryl, of course.

It's been about a month and a half since V and I had our girls night and I had managed to exhaust myself beyond belief. I was extremely thankful that I had a three day weekend coming up for Memorial Day weekend, and I was super excited to spend time relaxing and hanging out with friends. I needed this break so damn much, I could honestly feel myself starting to come apart at the seams.

The one thing that had kept me going through all of this craziness was Jughead Jones. I wasn't sure what it meant - or what we were to each other - but ever since that very first day, our relationship seemed to have taken on a life of its own.

After charging my phone up and getting his contact added, I messaged him a very friendly but somewhat playful text, just to see how he'd reply. He texted me back immediately and we hadn't stopped texting each other since. Whether it was to share memes we liked or funny stuff we saw online, or suggesting our favorite true crime podcasts, it didn't matter - we shared it all.

Other times, we just talked: about our different pasts, our hopes and dreams, what we each wanted out of life. Twenty years was a long time to have to catch up on but we were determined to do it. And we might have been apart for all those years but it seemed our bond was stronger than ever.

Jughead had also started spending most evenings I worked the night shift with me at Pop's. He'd give me pointers on the articles I was writing, he kept me from going completely bonkers from boredom in the middle of my shifts, and sometimes he'd just type away on his computer quietly and watch me work or serve the few customers that happen to float in and out of the diner. We were simply content to be in each other's presence. I hadn't told him this but just knowing he was there with me made me feel safer. We got along so well like it was the most natural thing in the world for us to be spending so much time together.

Then there were the text messages... the **massive** amounts of flirty and suggestive text messages. Neither of us was being very subtle about it either, both feeling brazen when hidden behind the screen. It was a power play and neither one of us was willing to back down when the other made suggestive comments.

It didn't take long for me to develop a major crush on him and I wanted to explore this deeper. Especially after our talk last night...

**Juggie**: Hey beautiful, whatcha into? ?

**Betts**: Hey yourself handsome ? ﾟﾏﾼ _Honestly? Nothing much... Just thinking about the relaxing bath I'm going to take after my shift and then sleeping as long as my body allows. How's business tonight, busy any heads yet? _?

**Juggie**: Sadly, no. It's been slow tonight. Kinda wish I could just come and see you instead of hanging out here all night ? _Especially if you were up for some company in that bath... _?

**Betts**: Is that so, Juggie? ? _You miss me enough to wash my aching back for me? _?

**Juggie**: Damn straight, Princess ? _I always miss you when you're not around, more so if I can rub your back when you are naked and covered in bubbles. _? ﾟﾘﾜ

**Betts**: Juggie... ? ﾟﾙﾈ?

**Juggie**: You know it's true, Betts ?

_**Betts: **_? ﾟﾒﾋ?

_**Juggie:**_ _So, Betts... I did have a question for you..._

**Betts**: I'm listening... ?

**Juggie**: What are you doing Friday night? ?

**Betts**: You tell me, Juggie ?

So that conversation was how my friends and I ended up here in a large booth at the Whyte Wyrm again on an insanely busy Friday night. I was even more nervous than the last time because I was invited by the owner - and the Serpents interim leader - whom I had effectively spent the last six weeks playing cat and mouse with. Anything was liable to happen tonight and I was ready for it. I hadn't felt this type of attraction towards anyone ever before, not even Archie.

I wanted Jughead on a whole new level: physically, emotionally, spiritually - I wanted all of him.

Wanting to continue on with our little teasing game tonight, I decided to wear something daring- something that would make his jaw drop and make him want to see more. Veronica offered me an outfit from her new line that was _just _what I was looking for: a black mini-dress with a scalloped hemline and an embellished halterneck. It fit me so beautifully that you'd have sworn that Veronica designed it with my measurements in mind. She completed the outfit with a velvety pair of open-toed black heels with an ankle strap that added a few more inches of height to my frame.

We did my makeup bold yet subtle, a shimmering smokey eye for a new look and paired with my favorites raspberry lipgloss to add just a hint of color and shine. Deciding to leave my hair with its natural curl, we just settled for pulling it up in a loose french twist. It must have really been **something** because even Reggie's eyes bugged out of his head when he saw me walking out of my room to head downstairs.

Veronica kept asking me why I decided that I wanted to go back to the Whyte Wyrm the Friday before Memorial Day but when I told her it was Ladies Night, she seemed satisfied with that explanation.

Don't get me wrong, Veronica's my best friend and I love her very much but I just wanted to figure out if there was something between Jughead and I before I told her anything about him. She means well - really - but I knew how she'd be once she found out about us so I just wanted to keep it between Jughead and me for the time being.

We'd been in the bar for about an hour and I had been looking around the crowded bar to see if I could spot the man I'd been waiting for - with no luck - so I continued sipping on the fruity drink Toni brought me from the bar while I waited.

Currently, she and Cheryl and Veronica and Reggie were all grinding to the music on the darkened dance floor while I sat alone, waiting to catch a glimpse of those piercings azure eyes.

Suddenly, I felt a chill running up my spine and turned towards the door directly behind the pool tables in time to see the very man I was searching for standing in the doorway, arms crossed over his chest and that twice damned smirk plastered on his lips. I felt the heat pooling between my thighs, forcing me to shimmy in my seat in order to seek some sort of relief. I bit my bottom lip as my carnal eyes roamed their way up the length of his body, drinking in his appearance.

He was wearing a pair of black ripped slim-fit jeans with his combat boots, his signature flannel with suspenders hanging from his waist. Instead of his normal tee shirt, he was simply wearing a black form-fitting ribbed tank and his Serpent jacket along with some black fingerless leather biker gloves. He looked rugged and dangerous and I was left in a complete puddle of unadulterated desire.

His smile grew larger when I finally got back to his face, mine dusted a shade of light pink at having been caught blatantly checking him out. Jughead's eyes never leave mine as I purposely licked my lips slowly before taking another sip of my drink. His darkened as he bit his lip, not even looking away from me when he had to adjust his growing bulge.

Just as he stepped away from the door to walk in my direction, everyone came running back to the table and collapsed in a fit of giggles. By the time they settled and I looked up, Jug was no longer at the door. I huffed quietly in frustration as Toni waved over a waitress and ordered a new round of drinks for us. I searched the crowd again, hoping to find where he'd run off too but no luck. I sat back again, pouting slightly as I finished off my first drink. I finally saw him walking over to the other side of the pool tables, cigarette hanging from his lips while he watched a bunch of Serpents play a game. I decided to ratchet the game we had been playing with each other for weeks up to the next level.

I excused myself to use the restroom but instead slowly made my way towards the obscured hall near the back, winking at him as I passed by the table he'd perched beside and walked further into the dark. Within seconds, I heard someone walking up behind me and I stopped short, feeling them as they pressed themselves against my backside.

"Princess, you look good enough to eat," Jughead growled lowly against my ear before running his nose along the slope of my neck, inhaling my scent deeply. I felt him place his hands on my hips, grinding me backward slightly to feel his growing erection.

I shivered and continued to rub my rear against him while his lips traced my throat, not quite touching but just enough to tease. I hummed as he made his way up the nape of my neck, "Mmm, you think so? You want a taste, Juggie?"

He growled into my hair, louder this time, and dug his fingers into my flesh as he answered, "I think we both know the answer to that question, babygirl."

"Do we?" I stepped out of his grasp and winked, tracing my hand across his chest as I walked by him.

"You are playing with fire, Princess," he replied loudly as I rounded the corner headed back to my booth. As I make it back, I noticed that Kevin and his _new friend _have disappeared and Veronica is practically trying to... _Swallow Reggie whole, from the looks of it._

"Cher, you and Toni wanna come dance with me?" I asked eagerly, hoping that Jughead would be watching.

"Sounds absolutely devilish, Cousin. Come TT, let's make all these straight men jealous," Cheryl laughed fiendishly as she helped Toni from the booth.

We found the perfect spot in the middle of the dancefloor, one that allowed us to be seen from anywhere in the bar. As Cher and I started dancing together, I caught sight of Jughead. He was leaned casually against the bar, sipping whiskey on the rocks and watching me with lustful eyes. After a few songs Cheryl went off to dance with Toni beside me and I bit my lip, running my hands up into my hair and swinging my hips sensually to the beat of the song, just getting lost in the rhythm. I didn't even realize how long I had been dancing with my eyes closed until I felt someone settle themselves behind me.

"Blondie, a pretty girl like you should never dance alone," I flinched when I heard the gravelly voice in my ear, a voice that was most definitely **not** Jughead's. I whipped around to see a tall man standing over me and gripping my waist with a lecherous grin on his face, his jet black hair slicked back and a serpent tattoo on his neck. I tried stepping out of his grip as quickly as possible but he hauled me back to him even quicker. I searched the dance floor but saw no signs of Cheryl or Toni and noticed that Jughead was no longer standing at the bar.

"Think your friends may have left you, baby, let me buy you another drink?" He asked, his eyes trailing down my body in a way that made me very uncomfortable. It wasn't until I saw a familiar flash of crimson hair and porcelain skin sliding up beside me that I allowed myself to breathe a sigh of relief.

"Mongrel, release my cousin right this minute!" Cheryl shouted, pulling me behind her and glaring at him furiously.

"Yeah and what if I don't, Blossom? You gonna rat on me to Toni?" Cheryl laughed venomously, patting the man on his chest. She innocently tilted her head and grinned as she spoke, "Oh, Sweets... Toni should be the _least _of your worries at this moment. But, since you won't heed my warning, have you officially met my cousin, Betty Cooper?"

A choking noise escaped his throat when he heard my name and he flinched away from me like he'd been burned before shaking his head, holding his hands up in surrender. "Oh fuck! I-I'm really sorry, Blondie. I didn't realize who you were. If I had known..." He trailed off as he looked over my shoulder, all the color draining from his face before he mumbled more apologies and took off.

"What the?" I asked Cheryl, confused until I turned to see Jughead standing at the top of the staircase leading to his apartment. I had never seen that look on his face before but I had to admit, it turned me on to see him seething that way.

"You didn't think you could keep it a secret from all of us, did you? Remember B, I'm apart of the Serpent's inner crew and _every _Serpent knows who you are... and to whom you belong. Now, go on... I will take care of V," Cheryl winked before smacking my ass and laughing as she walked away.

I glanced up at Jughead as he lifted his finger and curled it back and forth to beckon me up the stairs. I walked slowly through the crowded bar, my eyes never leaving his until I finally reached the bottom of the staircase. As I walked higher up each step, he moved back towards his apartment, leading me through the open door and into the living room before closing the door again, sliding the lock into place.

I swallowed hard at the look in his eyes, his pupils blown wide with lust as he raised an eyebrow at me. His eyes never left mine as he slowly removed his leather jacket, tossing it carelessly to the sofa. My pulse raced as I walked backward, pressing myself up against the island in his kitchen before he caged me in between his arms. He had the look of a predator stalking his prey and I was ready and willing to be consumed by him completely.

"Did he hurt you?" Jughead asked softly while running his fingers down my bare arms, making me shiver. My breath became erratic as I shook my head slowly, my tongue growing thick in my mouth and keeping me from speaking. He lifted my hand to his lips, "Good, I wouldn't want to have to hurt Sweet Pea too much."

"I-I'm alright, Juggie. It was a mistake, he didn't know who I was," I whispered as he dropped my hand and lowered his lips closer to mine, stopping just a breath away from them.

"He still needs to learn not to touch what isn't his, Princess."

I looked at him questioningly and gazed at him, snaking my hand up the front of his chest and into his dark locks. "And whose am I?" I asked.

"Mine, babygirl. All mine," he growled before he crashed his lips into mine, igniting a fire in my soul and burning me alive in the most delicious ways possible.


	8. Chapter 7: Firestarter

I moaned into his mouth as Jughead pressed my back into the island, gripping his locks tightly as I slipped my tongue further into his mouth. His soft moans as he granted me entrance only served to encourage my exploration as I pressed my breasts harder against his chest.

This was a sensation that I'd never felt before in my life and I couldn't stop myself, I was starved for him. He had unleashed something inside of me and I didn't think it could ever be caged again. No one had ever made my body combust in the way that he had just from a simple kiss. Not even Archie.

He wrapped his hands under the backs of my thighs and lifted me up, our lips devouring each other as he carried me to his room and gently laid me onto his bed. I chewed my bottom lip as he climbed over me, lowering his lips to mine and kissing me slower this time. He ran his hand down my sides and my body tingled as he toyed with the hem of my skirt just before he ran his hand up underneath it, his fingers ghosting over the sensitive skin of my inner thigh and gliding up towards core.

I gave a soft whimper in protest as he broke away from the kiss until I felt him dragging his tongue along the slope of my neck, licking and sucking soft bruises as he went. I shivered and pulled his inky locks as he reached my collar bone to bite down hard, causing a strangled moan to escape my lips.

He ran his tongue along the bite to soothe the tender mark before making his way back up, kissing every inch of my skin he could and whispering my name, "Betty... Please tell me you want this?"

I nodded feverishly as he hovered over me, kissing me again and stealing my breath. I wrapped my legs around his back on instinct and bucked up into him, seeking some sort of relief for the throbbing ache in my core. All I could think of was how much I needed this, how much I needed him right now. I could feel his need for me pressed against my thigh but when I brought my hand to his waistband, he gently grabbed my wrist and pinned it beside my head.

He pulled back from the kiss to rest his forehead on mine as his labored breaths fanned across my face, his pupils blown wide with lust and a glimmer of something else I couldn't quite place. He lowered his hand back down my body, lingering just below my breast, and I closed my eyes at the sensation of him touching me. "Don't rush, babygirl. I plan to take my time with you."

My skin prickled in anticipation at the headiness of his words. I pushed him gently, rolling him onto his back and straddled his waist with an amorous smile. I reached behind my neck, slowly lowering the zipper of my dress until it was left pooled around my waist. My bare nipples pebbled as the cool air hit them, my core pulsing as I ground against his arousal.

Jughead sat up, removing his shirt and pressing his chest to mine as he ran his hands up my bareback. "Fuck, Betts. You are **so **beautiful," he claimed my mouth again, rolling over on top of me to pull my dress down and off my body before he removed his pants as well. As I laid there - completely bare except for a black lace thong - he kissed his way down my body, stopping to lavish my nipples with attention before lowering himself between my thighs.

He looked at me expectantly and I nodded, trembling as he wrapped his fingers into my panties and dragged them down my legs. He stared at my dripping sex, licking his lips lasciviously before pressing a timid kiss to my sensitive bud. I gripped the sheets, crying out his name as he began to lick my slit with more fervor. I reveled in the feeling, sobbing in ecstasy as he sucked my swollen clit into his mouth and plunged two fingers into me.

"Please... Please- don't stop, Juggie," I whimpered, grinding my pelvis against his tongue to chase my high. The vibrations from his chuckle were enough to catapult me over the edge, my orgasm wracking through my body like lightning. My back arched off his bed as the waves of pleasure kept cascading over me until I was left boneless in its wake. Jughead continued lapping up my essence before sucking his fingers clean and gradually kissing his way up my body to capture my lips again.

My nails clawed at his back, tasting the salty-sweet flavor on his tongue driving me wild as I begged, "I need you... Please."

Jughead broke away from my lips with a low growl and stood up, reaching over to grab a condom out of his side table and removing his boxers. My eyes widened when I saw that he was _so much_ larger in size than Archie and it had me nervous for the first time since Jughead had kissed me. I'd only ever been with Archie and I wasn't sure how **that** was even going to fit inside me.

"You good, baby?" He asked hesitantly, his cock twitching under my stare. I swallowed hard and forced my eyes to meet his and stood up, my face inches from his as I pulled the condom from his hand to unwrap it. He hissed as I eased the condom slowly onto his length, his fingers digging into the flesh of my hips.

"I have never been better, Juggie," I whispered as I licked my lips, wrapping my arms around his neck and pulling him down on top of me, his erection pressed against my slick center and waiting to slip into me as I writhed underneath him. Without hesitation, Jughead plunged deep inside me, filling me so completely in one thrust that I tensed up and cried out.

"Shit, did I hurt you?" Jughead asked quickly, his eyes full of concern as he brushed the hair from my forehead. I shook my head and clung to him even tighter.

"No, it's just been a while. Don't stop, baby. I need you," I begged him, squirming to get him to move. That was all it took for him to give in to his salacious needs as he pulled out slowly and surged forward, burying himself to the hilt. After that, his concerns fled and were replaced by pure carnal desire as he pounded into me over and over again. Wanting to feel more I lifted my left leg over his shoulder, allowing him to plunge even deeper and hit my g-spot. I could already feel my walls starting to tighten around his pulsing cock as he fucked into me and I knew it wouldn't be much longer.

"God, Betts. You feel so good, baby... so fucking good..." Jughead words came out in pants, the angle causing him to hit just the right place and sending me over the edge again. I exploded around him, screaming his name as my climax rushed through me. He kept driving into me harder before finally he tensed and came with a shout before he collapsed on top of me, our bodies slick from sweat.

I traced my fingers along his spine, loving the feel of his twitching cock buried inside my sex. His skin prickled in the wake of my touch and he chuckled huskily before placing a tender kiss to my jaw and rolling away to remove the condom. Once he disposed of it he climbed into the bed and pulled me to his chest to spoon me.

"You may wanna get some sleep while you can, Betts. I'm _definitely_ not through with you yet," he whispered before biting my earlobe and burying his face into my neck, both of us falling quickly into a peaceful sleep.

I woke the next morning and stretched out, feeling tender but sated from our night together. We had woken up a few more times in the night, learning each other's bodies and changing positions each time we made love. He was insatiable, wearing me out and still leaving me begging for more until we'd go again. Jughead turned me on in ways that I had never thought possible before. _We may need to slow down if I want to be able to walk ever again._

I rolled over and noticed that the bedsheets were still warm but there was no sign of Jughead anywhere. I slipped from the bed and used the restroom before wrapping myself in his sheet and making my way quietly down the hall, the smell of cigarette smoke lingering in the air.

As I turned the corner into the living room I found Jughead - shirtless, jeans slung low enough on his waist to know he had nothing on underneath - sitting on the window seat below the wall of windows and a cigarette dangling from his fingers. Heat surged straight to my core, the image of this dangerously sexy man - smoking - with barely any clothes on was enough to have my clit throbbing all over again.

Jughead caught my eye as he was taking a draw from his cigarette and froze, his eyes traveling over my body. He blew out the smoke and licked his lips, smirking at me. I gave him an impish grin in return, dropping the sheet and swaying my hips as I slowly walked towards him - completely naked. I grabbed the hand that held tightly to his cigarette, bringing his fingers closer to my mouth and pulling a puff off of it and moaned at the burn that trailed down my throat and into my lungs. _V's gonna kill me but I can't even give a damn right now..._

Jughead's eyes flickered and I watched his pupils start dilating as I blew it out, my breasts level with his mouth as I stood between his parted legs. I took another drag as he pulled my nipple into his mouth, relishing in the feeling of the nicotine flooding my system at the same time as he fuels my desire. I pulled him to stand and sank to my knees, my hand palming his cock through his jeans as he watched me.

He took another drag of his cigarette and raised a challenging eyebrow as I stared up at him. My hands made quick work of his zipper before I tugged his jeans down by his belt loops, dragging my fingers over his freshly exposed skin. His cocks sprang free and it hung heavy in the air as a bead of precum formed. My tongue darted past my lips as I leaned forward, tasting him before taking him deep into my hot, wanton mouth.

I took as much of him in my mouth as I could, wrapping my hand around his base and squeezed as I dragged my lips back up his shaft. Jughead hissed and his hand buried into my hair to guide me back down - breathing through my nose as I felt him going further into the back of my throat. He sped up his thrusts and I hollowed out my cheeks to let him fuck my mouth making him moan, "Fuck me, babygirl, that feels so good."

Suddenly - without warning - Jughead tossed his cigarette out of the open window and dragged me to my feet, moving around me so that I was pulled flush against his chest. My thighs quivered as he glided his fingertips up and down my arms, growling in my ear as he spoke, "Look at you, Princess - all exposed, anyone who walks past can see what I'm gonna do to you. I bet you like that, don't you?"

I whimpered as one of his hands snaked down my stomach towards my dripping sex and the other grasped my throat, squeezing gently. "Does it get you wet, Betts? Thinking about me fucking you right here against these windows for everyone to see?" He asked me as he slid his two middle fingers into my cunt while grinding his palm against my clit, my eyes fluttering shut as he squeezed my throat slightly, already sending shockwaves through my body.

"That's what I thought, baby. Come for me," he growled as his fingers surged into me until I erupted, my legs turning to jelly as he held me up to ride out my orgasm. My body was still vibrating from my climax when he bent me over, placing my palms on the window seat before lining himself up with my slit and pressing just the tip inside. "You want me to fuck you like this, Betts?"

I pushed back until he was fully seated in my cunt and gasped, "Does that answer your question, Juggie?" He chuckled then pulled out and began slamming into me with abandon, driving deeper with thrust and making my screams grow louder. I knew that if anyone was in the bar downstairs right at that moment, they'd all know exactly what we were doing and the thought had me coming apart again, my walls clamping down on his shaft and milking him as he came deep inside me.

"Shit Betts, I wasn't thinking-," Jughead said, panic evident in his voice when he finally pulled out of me.

"It's okay Jug, I'm clean and I've got the implant so I can't get preg-... Wait- you **are **clean, right?" I asked, my eyes searching his face frantically. _Stupid Betty! You used condoms every time you are your _husband _but one hot session with Jug and you are slipping! _I chastised myself.

"Shh, Betts. Yes, I'm clean too. Only had one other partner and we were both virgins and still used condoms while we dated. I got tested a while back if you need to see it?" I sighed in relief and shook my head.

"No, I trust you."

"So, how accurate is this implant of yours anyway? Cause I gotta say, Betts, that was hot as fuck," he growled again, picking me up in his arms. "Come on, let's go grab a shower and then go get you some warmer clothes. Oh, and an overnight back."

As we drove to the Pembrooke, our fingers intertwined, I couldn't help but say a silent prayer that Veronica was at Reggie's place or otherwise out of the apartment.

I knew she would probably flip out on me for disappearing again and I didn't really want to explain where I had been or why I was coming home dressed in someone else's clothes with a guy she'd never heard of. I would still like to keep things between him and me to ourselves, at least for a few more hours.

However, my hopes were shattered when we pulled up to the building and I could see Veronica's car parked in the garage area. My only hope now was to sneak in undetected. I tried not to let my nerves get the best of me but with Veronica, you never knew what to expect.

Jughead parked his truck and walked around to open my door, offering me his hand to help me out. I gripped his hand firmly and lead him inside the building passed the front desk, waving to Andre as we headed to the elevators. He looked Jughead up and down suspiciously before finally pressing the button to activate the elevator doors, letting us inside.

As soon as the doors closed, Jughead was on me with such ferocity that I nearly stumbled to the floor. A growl reverberated in his chest as he pushed my hair away to get better access and buried his face into my neck, bite marks peppering my skin in seconds and.

"Jug..." I whimpered his name as a soft moan escaped my lips.

This only served to encourage his endeavors and I felt his chest vibrating as he gave off his a deep moan of his own. He hooked his hands behind my thighs, lifting me up to feel his arousal pressing against my center.

I knew we'd just spent the better part of the last 12 hours having sex but feeling him against me was driving me wild and all I wanted to do was let him take me again right there in that elevator.

_Maybe Ronnie actually is at Reggie's and we can slip in the apartment without her noticing. I know he might be trying to be respectful of my roommate, but I need him._ My thoughts are turning utterly sinful as we reached my floor and the elevator doors opened.

Before either of us could register that the elevator had stopped, my eyes opened to see a very worried looking Veronica Lodge: hands crossed over her chest, brows arched in shock.

"Oh!" I shouted, scaring Jughead who then sat me down and attempted to hide me as I straightened my clothes. "Um- hi, V..." I said sheepishly. Veronica's look of shock quickly turned to one of amusement as she registered exactly what I had been up to last night.

"So B, what's new? I tried to find you last night but you were nowhere to be found, _again_. I called and texted but never got a reply, _again_. I guess someone else must have found you before I had the chance, _again_," she smirked knowingly, tapping her foot with an eyebrow raised. _Shit._

"Yeah... kinda? V, this Jughead Jones, he's... an old friend. Jug, this is my best friend and roommate, Veronica Lodge," I offered introductions quickly, hoping to shift the focus off the fact that Jughead and I were caught in a very compromising position for simply being 'old friends'.

"Jug-head? That can't be your real name," Veronica laughed, looking at him amusingly. Jughead smiled back at her and laughed as well.

"No, it's just a nickname I've had since I was a kid. Trust me, the real thing is much much worse," he chuckled, looking down at me and grabbing my hand. He squeezed it, giving me a soft lopsided smile.

"Well, any _friend_ of Betty's is a friend of mine. Why don't you come inside and join us for some coffee and a chat?" she paused, looking him up and down before she spoke again, "Oh, and as the best friend, it is my duty to approve all of B's potential suitors," she gave him her most devilish grin but it didn't even seem to phase him.

"That sounds amazing. Then afterward maybe we can all have dinner at Pop's?" He suggested, grinning back at her. Veronica nodded her head and turned to walk towards our apartment. I leaned into him and whispered.

"You might regret this. Veronica can be a bit much. Especially when it comes to me," the look in his eyes made my heart melt. He looked so happy as he whispered in my ear.

"What is there to regret? I get to have two of my favorite things: coffee and being with you, what's not to like?" he kissed me behind the ear and I felt my heart fluttering at his touch. _I swear Veronica is gonna have to cut this short or I might explode._

After we followed Veronica into the apartment and got settled, I excused myself to get freshened up a bit and change into my own clothes. I pulled out a pair of black skinny jeans and a black and white striped tee, taking off Jughead's tee and sweatpants before tossing them onto my bed to keep for later. I changed my bra and panties to a matching set, stepped into my jeans and slipped on a black cardigan over top of my shirt.

I brushed my hair and pulled it into a fishtail braid before putting on some light makeup and cherry lip gloss. I sprayed my favorite vanilla berry perfume onto my pressure points and checked myself out in my full-length mirror.

_I look pretty cute, not as sexy as my dress but still cute,_ I thought. I grabbed my overnight bag, tossing some clothes and other essentials inside before I slipped on my black flats and walked out of my bedroom with my bag.

When I stepped into the living room I could hear Veronica and Jughead in the kitchen heatedly debating on the best place to get a milkshake. I sat my bag by the door and followed the sounds of my best friend's voice as she ranted.

"Really Jughead, I'll concede that Pop's has the best milkshakes in Riverdale but you haven't _lived_ until you've had a cotton candy strawberry shake from Black Tap's," Veronica waved her hands passionately and stared at Jughead like he was crazy. "It has rock candy and a giant lollipop on top of it, for God's sake!"

"That very well may be true Veronica but it's not about the embellishment, it's about the substance. Quality over quantity, it's just basic food science," he stated bluntly as if it was the most obvious concept. I couldn't help but laugh at the irritated looks on both of their faces as they turned to look at me.

"Are you guys seriously arguing over who has the best milkshakes?" I walked over to them and kissed Jughead's cheek before grabbing my coffee, taking a seat on the couch in the living room. Jughead followed suit and plopped down beside me, still looking aggravated.

"Yes B, we were. Mr. Jones seems to think that a plain old Pop's shake is better than any milkshake that the city has to offer," Veronica scoffed, seemingly offended at the mere thought and I giggled at her irritation before grinning at her.

"Sorry V, but Juggie is right. I lived in New York for almost a decade and nothing can compare to a strawberry shake from Pop's in my book," I told her with a shrug. Veronica just rolled her eyes and sat down in the chair across from Jughead and I.

"One day and you're already siding with him! You wound me, Bettykins," Veronica showed off her best shockingly offended look before she winked and gave me a sly smile. "Okay well, since we're all here, I have an interrogation to begin. So B, go on... spill it."

We explained everything to her: how I was drugged by some random creep at the Wyrm but Jughead saved me and we'd been carrying on a friendship - well more than - since that night. The dreams, the affair, FP's role in the Blossom murder, Jughead's running the Serpents since his father was in jail, how we grew up as best friends until his mother whisked him away from his father and kept him and his sister hidden so his dad couldn't find them.

We told her about how it was really Jughead who'd solved the murder and how I was a lot more familiar with the Serpents in high school then I'd let on and how he and his father protected me while I was helping to tutor the students at Southside High.

After we were done explaining everything, Veronica just sat there - visibly taken aback - trying to wrap her head around what we'd just explained to her.

"V, I know it's a bit of a complicated situation, trust me when I say I am still processing it myself, but I think that Jug might be the piece I've been missing. And I'm sorry I didn't tell you, I just wanted to get to know him better and see where it went before unleashing Veronica Lodge," I smiled as I glanced up to see him staring at me, "So please," I pleaded, "try not to scare him off. I have a good feeling about this one." Her face visibly softened as she looked in my eyes.

"Oh B, I'm only giving him a hard time. This is the first time since, well, 'the unpleasantness' that I've seen you really smile. And if he's the reason for it, I'll just have to make sure he sticks around," she beamed, standing up to wrap me in a hug. Then she turned to Jughead and her face dropped, becoming almost deadly.

"Now listen carefully, Serpent King, because I will only say this once. You **ever** do anything to hurt my B and I will make you live to regret it, _comprender_? You may have a gang of bikers at your disposal but we Lodge's have the entire New York mafia behind us. I will personally make damn sure they find Hoffa before they find you," she showed no emotion, just gave him a stone-cold stare. He doesn't seem the least bit fazed by her threat. He stood up beside me, taking my hand in his before facing her.

"_Entiendo perfectamente_. Veronica, believe me, I've been waiting for this moment for a long time. I have no intention of hurting her," he said as he stroked my knuckles and kissed my temple. Suddenly, Veronica smiled and clapped her hands together in excitement. We all say back down and continued drinking out coffee as we talked.

"Okay, now that we have an understanding, tell me more about your father. When is he supposed to be released? Better yet, did your dad ever tell you who his lost love was? And why on earth would your mother not want you to be around Betty? She is nothing like Alice at all. She has never done anything bad to anyone her whole life," Veronica shot off rapid-fire questions, making even my head spin.

"Well, he's supposed to be up for parole in just a few months, but who knows how that will go. He's clean now and goes to AA meetings that are held at the prison chapel. I've tried to convince him a few times to tell me more about this woman but I think he was afraid I would confront her about the affair or something because he won't tell me anything else. All he would say was that she was in his past and that-that was where she had to stay. She hated him for what he did to her and she never let him forget it," he said, his voice holding that same sad tone it did when he told me this story. _You know, I bet if anyone could hunt down this mystery woman, it would be Alic-..._

And just like that, realization rolled over me like a freight train. My hands started to tremble, knowing instantly - without a doubt - who the mystery woman was. It had to be, it was the only explanation.

Because there was only one woman in this town that hated the Serpents and the Southside with the fires of a thousand suns. The only woman who could be so cold and expected nothing less than perfection.

_I have to talk to her. I have to know if it's true. I __**need**_ _to know..._

"Guys, I think I need to call my Mom," I said in a shaky voice that trembled, not out of fear, but out of anger and confusion. Veronica nearly spat her coffee across the room at my statement.

"Are you sure, B? Remember what happened the last time you spoke to her. You know how she is and what kind of headspace you end up in when you talk to her. You've gone months without speaking to her and you're doing so good. Why open that Pandora's Box now?" she asked, setting her cup down.

"Because Ronnie, I think... No. I **know** who the other woman was. And she has to admit it once and for all, not just to me but also to my dad," my voice cracked and I looked Jughead in the eyes as I continued, "It was her, Jug. My Mom. She was the reason your mom took you away from your dad," his eyes grew wide, taking in the information I had just shared. He cupped my face and read his thumb across my cheek.

"Alright Betts, let's go get some answers," he grabbed my hand and my bag, each of us saying a quick goodbye before we headed out the door.

I didn't know exactly what was going to happen, but I had a terrible feel deep in my gut that said things were about to get really rough.

"Hello mother, how are you?" I tried to keep my voice as even as humanly possible as I held the phone to my ear.

"Well hello, Elizabeth. I see you're no longer dodging my phone calls. To what do I owe the pleasure?" She said flatly. I could feel the urge to curl my fingers inward beginning to surface but Jug grabbed my hand and squeezed.

"Well, I wanted to see if you and dad would like to have tea or coffee at the house? It has been a while since I've seen you and I have someone I would like you to meet," my eyes flashed to Jughead's and he grinned.

"Well, your father is out of town for a few weeks on a story but since you just saw him a few weeks ago, I'm sure he wouldn't mind you visiting - even if it's just us."

_How the hell does she know?_ I asked myself as she continued.

"You'll be here in an hour, yes? And I will make sure to set out an extra cup for your _mystery guest_," then she hung up before I could get a chance to reply.

"Well, I guess that went about as good as I could've expected," I sighed. Jug pulled me into an embrace, rubbing his hand up and down my back as I buried my face into his chest. "Are you sure you want to do this, Jug? Alice can be pretty intense. Hell, she's half nuts if I'm being honest and she doesn't like being questioned. Especially if those questions are coming from her daughter and the leader of the Southside Serpents. Things could go south fairly quickly when it comes to Alice."

"I need to hear the truth about my parent's divorce, Betts. And you need to hear it too, we both deserve the truth. And your dad needs to know what our parents did back then," he pressed a kiss to my forehead before leading me to the truck.

I opened the door to my childhood home and stepped inside with Jughead following close behind me. It was eerily quiet, all I could hear was my pulse thumping in my ears.

"Mom? Are you here?" I called out, stepping further into the living room. I caught sight of my mother standing in the kitchen, facing away from us and pulling mugs from the cabinet. Jughead stood beside me and gripped my hand tightly, anticipating what her reaction will be when she finally turned to face us.

"Yes dear, I'm just getting everything finished up, make your-" she turned and stopped mid-sentence, the mug that she was holding falling to the ground and shattering at her feet. She just stood there in shock, trembling as she stared at Jughead.

"No- It can't be. You can't be-," she took a few cautious steps forward, reaching out to touch his face before she pulled back suddenly, still staring into his eyes.

That was the first time in my entire 25 years that I had ever seen my mother become visibly shaken. Nothing ever scared Alice Cooper but here she was trembling like a leaf over this boy from her past.

"I knew you were back, but I never expected that... you look just like him," she said softly before coming to her senses, her eyes becoming frantic. "Did he send you? Is this because of the letter? Because I never replied?" Alice began to pace back and forth, wringing her hands. I stepped in front of her, halting her and grabbing her hands to force her to stop.

"Mom, what letter?" She shot me a look of confusion. I wasn't sure if it was because of the letter she had mentioned or if it was because it was the first time I'd called her anything other than mother since Polly... well, since high school. I watched her straighten up her posture and put on a stoic expression.

"Oh, nothing dear, it doesn't matter," she tried to pull away and brush it off but I wasn't letting her get out of this so easily. I felt my blood boiling and my patience was wearing incredibly thin.

"Cut the crap Alice, we know about your affair. **I** know about it. But let me ask you this mother, does dad know about it? And what the hell is this letter you're talking about? You need to stop lying to me and just tell the truth! What happened back then?" I glared at her, seeing that her shoulders slump in defeat. Alice knew there was no use in lying about any of it so she sat down and motioned for us to do the same. She clasped her hands on her lap and took a deep breath.

"Alright Elizabeth, I'll tell you the truth. Both of you were affected by our actions so it's the least I can do. Yes, I had an affair with Jughead's father FP for almost a year and a half when you two were very young. FP and I never could stay too far away from each other after we broke up in high school, no matter how hard we tried to. After we started seeing each other, we agreed that we needed to end our current marriages and we were planning on getting married before- well, before Gladys ran off with the kids and broke him. And before you pass judgment on his behalf, your father already knows about the affair. Hell, he knew about it when it was happening," she said, taking another deep, shaky breath before she continued.

"Frankly, it didn't matter a hill of beans to him, seeing as he was also having an affair. His has been going on for twenty-five plus now," she said, sounding slightly bitter. I sat there in complete shock, not believing what I was hearing. My father has had a mistress for my entire life? How did I never see it? How could they hide something like this from me for so long?

I gathered my thoughts and asked her in confusion, "What? With who? If he has been having an affair this whole time, why are you even still married to him?"

"Why else? For appearances, Elizabeth. That was what was always most important to your father. We never really loved each other in the way that we should have so after you girls were born we stayed married but went our separate ways, romantically speaking. We honestly haven't been more than roommates since his affair started," Alice said casually.

That was when I looked around and realized that the house seemed different. Some of our family portraits were not hanging on the wall and when I glanced over to where my father always kept his laptop and reading glasses, I noticed they were not there. _Well, he is on a business trip... but why are the pictures missing?_

"Mom, who was she? And where is Dad really?"

"Penelope Blossom. They fooled around in high school but had to keep it secret since she was already spoken for by Clifford Blossom. They started their affair back up about the same time you were born and I started sleeping with FP again right before he found out Gladys was pregnant with Jellybean," she coughed, looking away from us as she cleared her throat.

"It wasn't really a big deal for us at the time, we both had decided that maybe divorce was better and we'd planned to file the week your mother took you, Jughead," Alice looked at Jughead with tears in her eyes as she continued, "I tried to hold FP together- God, I really _really_ tried. But the man I loved left when you and your sister did. And then when..." Alice trailed off as tears fell down her face. She gathered her courage and continued.

"Well, that part doesn't matter. What matters is that Hal found FP's letter a few weeks ago - found out that I had lied to him. He got angry and told me he was going to live with Penelope and that he was filing for divorce. He said that there was no reason to keep up the charade, especially since he knows I still- well, that I don't love **him**," she whispered, looking down at her lap silently. It became strangely quiet for a few minutes before Jughead broke the silence they had lapsed into.

"Mrs. Cooper, please... You said you got a letter from my dad, what did it say?" he asked her gently. Before he could continue, I asked, "Mom, what did you lie about?" She stood up, brushing her skirt off before she walked into the kitchen. She came back holding an envelope and handed it to Jughead.

"It's probably best to just let you two read it," she turned and walked back to her seat, sitting back down and watched as Jughead pulled the letter out of the envelope addressed to my mother.

_Inmate #122096_

_Forsythe P. Jones II_

_Shankshaw Maximum Security Prison_

_Hello My Allicat,_

_I know you told me a long time ago that you never wanted to hear from me again, but I'm working my way through the 12 Steps program here and I just got to my 9th step. And well Juliet, there is no one else I need to make amends with more than you. _

_I want you to know how sorry I am, Alli. I'm sorry for the drinking, for pushing you away, for blaming you for what Gladys did, for lying and saying I regretted being with you. I am sorry for all of it._

_I __never_ _regretted a second I spent with you nor did I ever regret loving you with all of my heart and soul. Hell, I still love you even knowing that you hate me for what I did... What I __**caused**__. I know I can never make up for it but I need you to know I am sorry for all the pain I put you through and then leaving you to deal with it alone. You didn't deserve any of that. I will hate myself forever for what I did to you._

_I know I don't deserve your forgiveness, and I am not asking you to give it Alli, I just needed you to know that you are and always will be my heart. And for you to know that there are only two great regrets I have in this life: pushing you away and being the reason we never got to see our child grow up. I am so sorry, Juliet..._

_Eternally Your Romeo,_

_FP _


	9. Chapter 8: Romeo & Juliet

_A child? What child? _Jughead and I sat there, both completely overwhelmed as we read - and reread - the letter his father sent to my mother. _How is this even happening? My whole life is based on secrets and lies. And my poor mom- God..._

"Mom?" I asked with tears in my eyes, "Mom, what child?" Alice had already been crying by this point and Jughead reached over and squeezed her hand to help her find the strength to keep talking.

"That was the part your father didn't know about, Elizabeth. What I'd lied about to him. FP and I found out that I was pregnant just a month before Gladys left. We were so happy, we always wanted to start a family, to be together forever," she choked back a sob as she clutched Jughead's hand tighter. I stood up and knelt beside her, grasping her other hand.

"But then when Gladys took you kids away, he lost himself. He started drinking **so **much, wouldn't come home - avoided me altogether. He didn't want to discuss the baby or what we were going to do now that things had hit a rough spot. He just drank until all he felt was anger, which he in turn directed towards me. Then one night - when I was about 4 months pregnant - I'd finally had enough and went looking for him," the tears were flowing from both of our eyes now as she told us her gut-wrenching story.

"I was so excited, Betty. I found out that morning that we were going to have a son, you were going to have a baby brother," Alice said wistfully, lost in the memory, "I wanted him to know right away, I knew how much he wanted another son so I ended up driving to the Whyte Wyrm. When I got there, I- uh, I found him in the backroom, drunk off his ass and screwing some slutty bar hag," I could see the anger burning in her eyes as she spoke. Even after all this time, the memory was still painful for her to relive.

"I lost it- just saw red and snapped. I started hitting him and screaming, asking how he could do this to me. To us. To our baby. And he- He laughed at me. Laughed right in my face, Betty. He said he blamed me for everything: for Jughead's Mom leaving, for his drinking, hell even for him sleeping with another woman," Alice hung her head and wiped away some of her tears.

"Then when he-um... when he told me I-I was a mistake, that our **child **was a mistake... Well, I couldn't take it anymore. I ran out of the Whyte Wyrm, devastated and not thinking about anything but getting away from him as fast as possible. It was raining really hard that night and I was crying so much that I couldn't see anything. I hit a bad section of road and lost control of the car. I was blacked out for this part but they said it flipped over just before I got to the Northside line."

"The uh, the ambulance took too getting to us long due to the heavy rains and by the time they got to me, it was too late. The baby was already gone," Jughead and I knelt on either side of her, clinging to every word spilling from Alice's mouth.

"FP was listed as my emergency contact but when he got to the hospital I didn't even want to see him. It was too painful. I was angry and I told him that we were even. That he lost his kids because of **me **and I lost my son because of **him**."

"I told him that he had one less regret to worry about and that I would _never _forgive him for killing our son," she hesitated, taking a shaky breath, "He begged me to though - said he was drunk and he didn't mean it. That what he said was the alcohol talking and that the floozy he screwed meant nothing to him but it was too late. I told him I hated him and I never wanted to see him again. I got my wish," she wiped a tear from her cheek.

"After that, we never spoke directly to each other ever again. We just spent most of our lives hating each other. Well, at least pretending to hate each other. That was easier than admitting the truth, that we still loved each other but we were both too stubborn and hurt to admit it. No matter what happened in our past, no one would ever replace the other in our hearts," Alice stopped suddenly, giving Jughead a pleading look.

"I had planned on writing him back when I received his letter but I just didn't know what to say. By then Elizabeth and Archie had split up, and Hal found the letter and moved out, and everything just kept falling apart. I could barely keep my head above water," she sobbed, releasing the pain she'd held in for so long. I embraced her as she poured it all out, feeling like I had just seen the real Alice Cooper for the first time.

"Oh Mom, I'm so sorry. I never- I didn't realize how much pain you were in," I held her head to my chest as she cried. Cried for my dad, for FP, for the child she lost, for Polly, for me. 20 years of tears she had locked away came rushing like a flood and she couldn't stop the downpour of tears that followed. She clung to me like I was the only thing tethering her to this life like I was all she had left. I guess maybe I was.

"I'm sorry Betty, for everything. For how hard I was on you and your sister, for how bitter I become, for not telling you the truth. I love you so much and I wish I could go back and change it," I shook my head at her words.

"No Mom, it's ok. I forgive you. You're human and humans make mistakes. We all make them but you can always get a second chance to make things right," I glanced at Jughead with a smile and he nodded, signaling that he understands what I want to ask her. She pulled away and looked up at me with glossy eyes.

"Mom, do you want to go see FP?"

_**~Two Weeks Later~**_

Walking into a maximum-security prison is not something I would ever say was on my bucket list of weird places to go before I die but here we were. I never thought I would have a reason to visit a prison and after this, I don't ever want to go back to one. Just knowing that we were surrounded by thousands of criminals who may or may not be waiting for their chance to hurt us was a lot to take in. But I swallowed my fear and tried to remember this wasn't for me, it was for Mom and FP.

Ironically, Jug's status as Serpent King he was able to afford certain luxuries for him and his father. More specifically, the warden would set aside special accommodations for them whenever Jughead would visit with him.

Jughead sat across the room from us behind a large metal table, tapping his fingers nervously. My mother and I thought it might be best if we stayed hidden in the shadows behind the door for the time being.

Jug agreed that it was probably better, that way he could ease FP into seeing my Mom for the first time after all these years. He didn't want to overwhelm his dad too much.

Mom could barely breathe, her hands shaking from her nerves. When we heard footsteps approaching, she took jagged breaths trying to keep calm. I grabbed her hand, intertwining our fingers and squeezed.

Suddenly, the door opened towards us - effectively hiding us from FP's view even more - as the guards lead him to the table and unshackled him. Mom and I collectively held our breaths, waiting for the right to make ourselves known.

When the guards finally left, FP sat down and laughed lightly at his son, pleasantly surprised by his visit.

"Boy, not that I don't love seeing you but I didn't think you'd be coming to see your old man until next week? What's got you here so early? Did something happen?" FP's voice seemed so familiar to me. Almost like a dream I had once.

I remembered that voice and then all these different memories started to flood my mind as he continued talking.

I remembered him telling me and Jug stories as a kid, I remembered him playing with Polly and me, and pushing me on the swings. Him taking us to the drive-in and buying us cotton candy if we promised to be good. He did so much for us, how could I have forgotten all about him?

I never knew just hearing someone's voice could trigger memories I didn't even realize I had. It was surreal, haunting even.

"Uh, no Dad, it's nothing like that. It's just that, well, you see, I-," FP sat forward and grabbed Jughead's hands.

"What's the matter, boy? You look like you've seen a ghost. What's going on?" You could hear the fear in FP's voice as he spoke. Jughead didn't even say a word, his eyes darted towards my mother and I then back to his father.

"I'm not a ghost just yet," was all my mother said before FP whipped around to face us, his chair crashing to the floor. He stared at us in confusion before he finally comprehended what was going on.

"Juliet?" He hesitated at first but when he saw my mother nodding as she started to cry, he ran to her and crashed their lips together.

They kissed with a feverish need, tears streaming down both their faces as they broke apart. There were faint whispers of apology and love and forgiveness as they clung to each other.

"How?" He asked quietly while still staring in my mom's eyes.

"They know FP, they know everything. About us, the affair, about... about Charlie," she buried her face into his shoulder while he hugged her.

Then he noticed me still standing in the shadows and then it was his turn to look like he had seen a ghost.

"Betts, is that you? My God Alli, she looks just like you when-," my mom placed her hand to his mouth to silence him.

"I said the same about Jug when he walked in my front door with my daughter," she smiled. This bit of information piqued FP's interest.

"Jug? Are you and Betty-?" Jughead interrupted FP by coming around the table and taking my hand into his. He kissed my temple and turned back to how dad

"Dad, it was fate. One of those _'Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, she just so happened to walk into mine' _kind of things. It just happened," he grinned at me happily.

I felt my heart fluttering in my chest at the look in his eyes, blushing as I thought about all that has happened these last few weeks.

Ever since that night that we first made love, we've been inseparable. He would still come to see me at work and I would hang out at the Wyrm getting to know his crew on my nights off, the difference now was that I had been staying at his place instead of going back home at night. We'd spend time watching old movies, making love all over the apartment, or just laying in his bed and talking half the night until we fell asleep in each other's arms.

I already felt myself falling harder for him than I had ever fallen before and I wasn't scared at all. It all felt too right for me to be worried. The way he looked into my eyes after he kissed me tenderly when we made love was enough to make me fall, but it was the way he'd listen to what I had to say - really listened - and would actually encourage me when I had a differing opinion on something. He saw the real me and was happy with who I was inside. That was why I already knew I loved him, even if I wasn't confident enough to tell him yet.

"Well Alli, I guess history really does repeat itself, huh?" FP laughed and turned to kiss my Mom again. When things started to get a little too heated between our parents I decided it was time for us to make our exit.

"Hey Jug," I whispered, "Let's give them a few minutes," I cleared my throat and spoke a little louder. FP and Alice pulled apart, blushing - clearly having forgotten we were even in the room with them - and turned to face us.

"Mom, take all the time they will give you. Jug and I will go wait in the truck," I grabbed Jug's hand and pulled him out of the room, making our way through the corridors leading to the front of the prison and nearly ran out of the doors towards the truck.

"Hey, slow down Princess, where's the fire?" he smirked as we finally reached his truck. I let out a raspy moan as he pressed me against it, nuzzling the skin below my ear with his nose. His hands dipped down from my hips to knead my rear, pulling me forward against him further.

"Well, I haven't gotten any time alone with you since last night and I'm gonna jump at the chance to touch you every opportunity I can get, Mr. Jones," I gasped as he sucked a bruise to my shoulder, my hands finding their natural place in his hair. He chuckled against my neck, sending shivers down my spine straight to my core.

"Is that the only thing you plan on jumping on, Princess? Or are you open to suggestions?" He asked, licking his lips as I tilted my head further to the side to grant him better access to my pulse point. I felt his hand begin traveling down towards the apex of my thighs where the heat continued to build and my breath hitched in anticipation.

"Play your cards right Jones and you just might find out," I whispered, pulling his mouth to mine. This kiss was much more hungry - more desperate than the others - and I knew we needed to get into the privacy of his truck before the wrong person saw exactly what we were going to do.

I grabbed the passenger door handle roughly, opening it and spinning him around into the seat as I climbed on top of him and straddled his thighs. I captured his lips and Jughead ran his hands under my shirt and up my back as he kissed me before we finally broke away for air, our lips swollen from our kisses.

"Well, well, well, Elizabeth. I knew you were an exhibitionist but sex in a prison parking lot? Who knew you were such a dirty girl?" He asked as he slapped my ass, bucking into me suddenly and causing me to cry out from the friction. I ground against him in return, desperately needing to feel relief - needing to feel him. The feeling of his growing cock against me just served to give me a higher boost in confidence that left me dripping even more.

"Well Juggie, I think you will be _pleasantly _surprised at just what kinds of things I am into," I whispered before biting his earlobe and flicking my tongue along it to soothe the mark. Jughead released a deep growl as he captured my lips again. I tugged his hair, biting his lower lip between my teeth while I continued to rock back and forth against his thick bulge.

I had no concept of just long we are in there - pawing at and grinding on one another - but just as I reached for his belt buckle to free him from his jeans, we were jolted out of our heated display of affection by three loud raps on the window followed by my mother's voice.

"Elizabeth, if you could try to detangle yourself from the Jones boy long enough to take me home, I would appreciate it. And for the love of God, at least wait until you have been dating for longer than a few weeks to try and make me a Grandmother, alright?" she huffed, rolling her eyes at our disheveled state. I buried my face into Jughead's neck, completely mortified at being caught by my mother. He just laughed lightly and stroked my hair, both of us trying to collect ourselves.

"To be continued?"

"Bye Mom, we'll see you later. Call us if you need anything, okay?" I waved goodbye to my mother and hopped back into Jughead's truck to head off back to my apartment. I needed to get some more of my things since Jug asked me to stay over for a few more days and I wanted to get some _quality _time with Jug before I had to be at Pop's in a few hours for my shift. As we arrived at my apartment, he shut off the engine and turned to me with a pout.

"Are you sure you have to work tonight, baby?" he asked with a sad look in his eyes. Jughead had to work Toni's shifts for her at the Wyrm all week and he hated not being at the diner to keep an eye on me on the night shift. He had been super paranoid about leaving me alone there overnight ever since we started dating but I didn't think anything of it so I didn't ask why. It made me feel good to know he was worried about my safety. My heart did a little flip when he gave me his puppy eyes and I smiled sadly, bringing his hand to my lips to kiss his knuckles

"Yeah Jug, I do. I can't call out... I won't do that to Pop. But just think, we'll have a lot more time together really soon. Adam will be back from paternity leave next week to take over the night shift and then I think the next week is when that other chick comes back to town so I won't work such crazy hours," Jughead snorted in laughter but I just looked at him confused.

"Uh, it's this week actually, Betts. She gets back this week," I still couldn't figure out what he meant as he grinned at me."That other chick is my sister, Betts. Jellybean? Though she goes by JB now." _Oooooooh..._

"Are you kidding?" I laughed, "Why didn't you tell me before now! I mean, what are the odds that your sister and I would both work at Pop's but you were the first Jones I met?"

"It's called destiny, babe," he winked, quickly pecking a kiss to my cheek and stepping out of the truck. We decided that since I only had a few hours before my shift, we would make the most of the quiet and go inside to watch a movie. We could both wait until tonight to finish what we had started at the prison.

I laid my head on his chest and sighed contently as we watched the opening scenes of _The Princess Bride_. Ever since I was a little girl when I first saw this movie at the Twilight, I always wanted a love like Westley and Buttercup had. They were hopelessly devoted to each other and would move mountains to be together. I was truly beginning to feel like I had finally found that love right here with Jughead.

When the scene where Buttercup finds out Westley had been killed, I started to cry silently. That part always got me. I always cried imagining the pain she must have felt at that moment, believing she would never love again. Before Jughead came into my life I honestly felt that way too.

Jughead must have heard my sniffles because he paused the movie and sat up with a concerned look, pulling me with him before brushing my tears away.

"Betts, baby, what's wrong? Why are you crying, love?" His gentleness only made me want to cry even more but I let out a small laugh instead. He cupped my cheeks and forced me to look into his eyes, searching my eyes for the answer.

"It's stupid, really." I tried to brush it off but he held my gaze until I opened up and spoke, "Well, it's just that after everything that happened with Archie, I never thought I would find anyone again. He broke me Jug, I mean _really _broke everything about me," I glanced down at my lap, too embarrassed to look at him.

"But, then I meet you and- I don't know, it just feels like maybe this is my second chance. Like _my _Westley has found me again. It's silly, I know." I blushed, hiding my face in my shoulder so I don't have to see the look in his eyes. "I mean, yeah, we knew each other when we were kids but we really are just now getting to know each other as adults and I just, well- I mean, it feels like-," Jughead grabbed the sides of my face gently and lifted my head to look in my eyes again.

"It feels like we were meant to find each other?" He asked, the look in his eyes sending my heart into overdrive. I nodded slowly, tears threatening to fall as he leaned forward and gently pressed his lips to mine. His kiss was gentle and tender, taking his time to consume me fully before he pulled away far too soon for my liking. I chased his lips as he pulled back further and wiped my remaining tears, making me crack a small smile. We laid back down and snuggled in silence for a few minutes until I felt better.

"Thanks, Juggie, I needed that. I lo- uh, I mean, do you want to finish the movie and then maybe grab a quick bite before I have to start my shift?" He looked down at me with the strangest look in his eye; like I'd hung the moon for him, like the only thing he saw in this world was me.

"As you wish," he whispered, kissing my forehead before he played the movie.

When I first agreed to this schedule, I never thought I would ever get sick of being on the night shift. The low traffic of customers, all the downtime to get my writing done without issue, and with Jughead usually being here my shifts just seemed to make them fly by. However, this week had been the absolute worst ever. Jughead was working the bar all week so I was here alone every night, counting the minutes until he came in for his morning coffee at the end of my shift so we could go back to his place and fall asleep in each other's arms.

If it wasn't for the fact that Jug had been texting me non-stop and sending me funny little memes, I think I would have gone absolutely bonkers being here all alone. Don't get me wrong, I was happy to help out Adam and Pop but now that I had a boyfriend I was excited to get back to a normal shift so I could have more time with him than what we've had this week. We still tried to get as much quality time together as we could but it was difficult with our schedules being off.

When we weren't sleeping we just mostly stayed in his apartment and watched movies or made each other dinner when we were both off. It was extremely domestic but it felt completely natural for the two of us. Even when we would hang out at the Wyrm with our combined friends someone would make the comment about us already living together or acting like an old married couple after just knowing each other for four months. We would laugh it off but neither of us really protested when our friends would tease us about it. It worked for us and that was all that mattered to either of us.

Jughead decided that when my schedule finally changed that he wanted us to have a real date, not meeting at a bar, a God's honest first date. No friends, no staying in, just a whole evening to ourselves without any interruptions - in a nice restaurant if Jughead had his way. This was what we were discussing while I finished up my last overnight shift. Jughead was excitedly making plans for our first "real" date as I wiped down the counters with one hand. balancing my phone on my shoulder as I listened to him rambling.

"Jug, honestly, we can just stay in your apartment all night for all I care. I just want to spend some time with you and relax. This week has been a total nightmare and I just want to drink a glass of wine and see where the night takes us. Maybe even soak in a bath with you," I said in a flirtatious tone, hearing his breathy laugh on the other end making my body instantly react.

_We aren't even in the same room and just his laugh makes me want to climb through the phone and jump him. _I thought, squeezing my thighs together.

"Betts, if it means being in a bath with you, naked and covered in bubbles, I think I could get behind that idea," I giggled and was about to retort when I noticed some hot rod's pulling up outside the diner.

_That's strange, no one ever comes here at 2 am,_ I thought. I realized they are all wearing leather jackets but something about them seemed off, something that sent a chill shooting down my spine. I kept my voice as even as possible as I spoke, not wanting to freak Jughead out.

"Uh, Jug. Did you send any Serpents over here to Pop's?" My voice cracked, betraying my nerves at the situation. I sensed a change in his tone immediately.

"No, Betty, all the Serpents are here. Why? What's wrong?" Instantly, fear took over and I knew without a doubt that this was not going to go down well for me at all. I lowered my voice to just above a whisper and cupped my hand around the mouthpiece so he could still hear me.

"Because Jug, about eight guys in leather jackets and face paint just showed up outside the diner and they are all stari-," I nearly dropped the phone when Jughead's voice rang in my ears.

"Betty, listen to me. .Door. Right now. Those are not Serpents, and if they are who I think they are, they are there because of me. Just lock the door. NOW!" Before I could even take a step to move around the counter, they were making their way in the door. I stood frozen to my spot in fear, the phone still clutched in my hands.

"They're already inside Jug," I whispered into the phone, hoping he could hear me but they couldn't. Each of the men gave me a menacing smile as they passed by, making my heart drop into the pit of my stomach.

"I'm coming, Betty. Just act natural and be careful, I'm coming to you now," he said before the line went dead.

Not wanting them to suspect anything was amiss I slipped my phone into my apron, grabbed my notepad, and put on the best Cooper smile I could muster. I walked confidently to their tables, making sure to sound as cheerful as possible.

"How are you boys doing tonight? Can I get anything started for you? Or something to drink maybe?" My eyes darted around the two tables nervously, waiting for someone to speak. I trembled slightly, trying to stay as calm as possible.

Every one of them looked frightening to me but one of the men, in particular, stood out from the others. His demeanor set him apart from the rest and he seemed to be their leader. Or at least the alpha of their little group. Just the way he stared me down and licked his lips made bile back up into my throat.

His insanely curly hair framed his face in such a way that it accentuated the crazed look in his eye as he grinned at me perversely. I chewed my bottom lip, frozen in fear and clutching my notepad to my chest as I watched him nervously. He tilted his head to the side, his eyes turning almost murderous as he spoke.

"Oh, we ain't here for the food darlin'. See, we're here to deliver a message. Well, to have **you** deliver a message that is," he said suggestively, running his hand up the back of my thigh and under my skirt. I slapped his hand away and took a shaky step back, causing all the men to erupt into laughter.

"Well, I'm not sure who the message is for but I think you've got the wrong place and the wrong girl. So, why don't you all just leave right now before I call Sheriff Keller and have your sorry asses thrown in jail?" I spat back venomously.

The leader stood up and towered over me but I wouldn't let him intimidate me. I couldn't show him any fear or else he'd have the advantage. I squared my jaw and stood firm, waiting to see what would happen next.

"Oh, I don't think you wanna do that blondie," he said calmly, a smile still playing on his lips.

"And why not?" I furrowed my brow, staring him down. The next thing I knew, I heard the flick of a switchblade before I felt him pressing the cold steel to my cheek.

"Because if you do that then I'm gonna have to gut you like a fucking fish," he growled as he ran the tip of the blade down my neck, down between my breasts, before he slipped it under the string of my apron. "And something tells me that Jonesy boy might not like that too much."

He pulled the blade tight against the string, snapping it and sending my apron crashing to the floor with a loud thud.

He raised the knife back up to my neck as he pressed his body closer to mine, pinning me against the countertop behind me. Tears pricked my eyes as he leaned in close, his breath on my cheek. I knew he was going to hurt me but I squeezed my eyes shut so he wouldn't see how afraid I was.

Just as he pressed the knife a little harder to my skin, I heard the door chime and then someone shouting. I knew without even opening my eyes that it was him. My tensed body loosened slightly now that he was here to save me from these men.

"Malachi! Back the hell away before I put a bullet between your eyes!" He yelled. Just from the way his voice shook I knew he was seething.

I opened my eyes to see Jughead and about twenty other Serpents standing in and around Pop's, all holding guns on the man in front of me.

The man, Malachi, held his hands up and stepped away from me enough for me to grab my phone from the floor before I ran behind Jughead for protection.

With his gun still trained on my attacker, Jughead stopped me and tilted my head, examining my neck and checking to see if I'm hurt before he turned to the man again.

"Now, let's make one thing clear, Malachi. If you have a message for me you bring it to me directly, you got that?" Jughead sneered, "If I find out that you even so much as look at this diner or attempt to breathe the same air as my girlfriend ever again, I will kill each and every last one of you assholes and burn whatever remains of you to ash. Do we have an understanding?!"

I had only ever seen this side of Jughead once when that guy in the bar was trying to take advantage of me, and it was a side of him that I knew existed but he never showed it to me. I couldn't take my eyes off of him as he spoke, his demeanor stirring something inside me.

The scowl he gave them sent throbbing pulses to my core that made me weak in the knees. I felt my face starting to burn just from the thoughts that currently consumed my mind.

Had I been the one on the receiving end of that look, I would have been scared out of my mind. But looking at him threatening these men - knowing he was doing it to protect me - made me want him that much more.

The domineering presence he had when he spoke to them, the look in his eyes, the control he had, all of it. I had to rub my thighs together just thinking about it.

I was so focused on my own arousal that I barely even registered that the men were leaving. Once they were out of the diner Jug pulled me into the kitchen but I couldn't think straight, my head swimming with need.

"Betty, are you ok? Did he hurt you? God, I am so sorry-," Jughead let out a grunt as I threw myself into his arms, biting and sucking on his bottom lip as I kissed him ferociously.

I drove my tongue into his mouth as he picked me up and placed me on the stainless steel counter, his hands running up my skirt causing me to let out a wanton moan.

I couldn't hold back any longer, I needed him. I needed him to control me, to claim me, to fuck me until I couldn't think straight. I reached down to unlatch his belt but he stopped me and pulled away.

"Wait, wait, Betts. Hold on a sec," he pulled back further to look me in the eyes as I pouted. I knew he could see how much I wanted this, how much wanted him. I could see the same desirous look reflected in his eyes.

"I need you, Juggie. All of you, please," I begged, grasping at his hair and trying desperately to capture his mouth again. He groaned as I wrapped my legs around him and I watched his eyes darkening with need.

"Not here, Princess. Close up and let me take you home. Then I will give you anything you want," I bit my lip and nodded.

I locked up the diner as quickly as possible and called Pop to let him know what happened before I hopped on the back of Jug's bike and we took off back to his apartment.

We barely made it into the front door before we were on each other. Pushing and pulling, panting and moaning, pressing each other against every surface we could as we made our way to the bedroom.

When we got to the hallway, Jughead lifted me up off the floor - never breaking our kiss - and I wrapped my legs around his back. He carried me into his room and slammed the door shut with his foot, dropping me gently onto his bed before kissing his way up my body to whisper into my ear.

"Tell me what you want, Princess," he said gruffly, biting my neck and making me cry out.

"Take me Juggie, all of me. I want you to fuck me, mark me, make me **all** yours. I need you to make sure everyone knows exactly who I belong to. Please, Jug," I begged, not caring how desperate I sounded.

The darkness inside me was boiling to the surface and I finally understood what it needed, what **I** needed. I needed him, needed to be his in every way possible, needed to submit every part of myself to him. I needed to give up control.

"As you wish, Princess," he grunted before capturing my lips again. I moaned as I felt his hands pushing my skirt up before he ripped the thin panties off of me and tossed them to the side.

"Is this what you want, babygirl? You want me to fuck you real good?" Jughead asked, sitting back on his knees and spreading my thighs further apart to stretch my wet core wider. My chest heaved as I watched him slowly remove his shirt, staring down at me with lust blown eyes.

"If you want me to stop at any point, just say the word. Alright, Princess?" He asked and shook his head, growling when I simply nodded. "Use your words, babygirl."

"Yes sir," I cooed, my body throbbing with need already. Jughead leaned over me slightly, running his hands up my waist to the closure of my dress before he grabbed both sides and ripped them open. My breath caught as the buttons shot across the room and he pulled the cups of my bra down, exposing my breasts to the cool night air.

"Touch yourself."

I hesitated slightly and jumped when I felt him give a light slap against my clit, making me moan loudly. "I said, touch yourself."

This time I didn't hesitate as I shoved two of my dainty fingers into my soaked cunt while the other hand roughly grabbed my breast to play with my nipple. My eyes never left Jughead's as he undid his pants, pulling them off and freeing his aching erection. My mouth watered as I watched him stroke himself up and down, squeezing at the base and tugging roughly every so often.

Just as I was about to come, Jughead pulled my fingers from my sex and sucked then into his mouth. My toes curled at the sensations that-that visual gave me and when he finally had his fill, he leaned over me clicking his tongue and rasped, "I didn't give you permission to come, babygirl," before plunging his tongue into my mouth, allowing me to taste the tangy flavor on it.

Jughead wrapped his hands around both of my wrists and lifted them above my head as he began attacking my neck with fervor. He lifted his head and looked down on me with such carnality that I swear I could have come right there on the spot. "Don't move your hands."

"Yes sir," I whimpered, clutching the underside of his headboard to keep myself still. He worked his way down my body, suckling bruises down my sternum as he pushed my ruined dress to the sides. He teased my nipples before taking them into his mouth and driving me insane with his tongue. My body hummed, teetering on the edge of insanity and complete and utter bliss.

"Don't. Come." He growled as he spread my thighs apart again but this time he dragged his tongue up my slit, nipping at my swollen bud as he reached it. My body shuddered and a guttural moan escaped my lips when he speared his tongue into my cunt, fucking me into oblivion. After a moment his fingers replaced his tongue, curling upwards to reach my inner button as he sucked my clit into his mouth.

I could feel the tension building quickly and I knew it wouldn't be much longer before it snapped and I would fall apart. "Please... Jug, I'm about to-," my voice faded out when he suddenly stopped. I looked at him in frustration, trying to calm my erratic breaths and slow my pounding heart.

"It's not time to come yet, babygirl," he smirked, wiping his mouth off with the back of his hand. "Now, be a good girl and get on your hands and knees for your King."

His commanding voice had me obeying his demand, shedding the remains of my clothing before I got into position and waited for him to give me further instructions. I watched him stand up with lustful eyes - grabbing something from the floor - before crawling back onto the bed behind me. My eyes widened and I swallowed hard when I noticed that he had his belt in his hand.

"Don't worry, Princess. If I was going to spank you, it would be with this," he said huskily, tapping my hip with his palm. "Hands behind your back," he demanded. I sat up onto my knees and intertwined my fingers together behind my back as he looped the belt around my wrists, tugging slightly to make sure it was comfortable but secure. His breath ghosted over my shoulder as he whispered in my ear, "I'm gonna fuck you now, Princess, and I want you to scream as loud as you want. Let _everyone_ downstairs know just how good I make you feel."

He bent me forward and held onto my bound wrists, surging into me and burying himself deep inside with a satisfying growl. I cried out as he began thrusting forcefully into my tight cunt, "Yes, Juggie! Fuck me harder, please...sir," I begged, screaming into the mattress as he drilled into me harder from behind. I could feel myself reaching the precipice, ready to plunge over the edge when he hauled me flush against his chest. "Time to come, Elizabeth," he whispered before slapping my clit repeatedly and biting down hard on my neck. My world cracked, shattering into thousands of supercharged pieces that continued bursting to send me further and further into utter ecstasy. I gasped for air, tears streaming down my cheeks as the sensation burned through my veins and consumed me wholly.

Suddenly, I felt my wrists become free and fall limply to my sides as Jughead scooped me into his arms, caressing my skin and whispering words of love into my ear. I felt like I was floating as he took care of me, cleaning up the remains of our lovemaking and touching me so tenderly that it made me cry. When I finally felt _somewhat _like myself again, Jug was there with some water and snacks and some fresh clothes for me to wear.

"Wow," I chuckled as he fed me some grapes and stroked my hair gently.

"Wow is right, Princess," Jughead smiled, kissing my forehead. "Finish your snack, love. You need your rest and then we are going for round two."

I woke up the next morning to the feeling of kisses being pressed to my shoulder and strong arms wrapped around me.

I felt the soreness in my body and smiled, loving that it was him that made me feel this way. I stretched, turning my head to kiss Jughead's lips. I rolled over to get a deeper kiss and ran my hands through his hair before pulling back to look down on him with a smile.

"Morning baby, how'd you sleep?" he asked, kissing the tip of my nose as he pulled me tighter to his chest.

"Mmm, I slept amazingly. Well, when we were actually sleeping," I bit my lip to stifle a giggle.

Just like so many other times before, we had come together several times during the night to make each other fall apart over and over again. I was secretly thankful for my decision to keep my implant since we didn't even stop to think about protection anymore. All we cared about was what we could do to each other, how we could make each other feel.

"Hey, last night was on you, Betts. You were insatiable... You almost kept up with me," he teased, pinching my side and kissing me on the shoulder again.

"Well, we both know the Serpent King can be demanding," I laughed before trying to sit up. Jug pulled me back down to the bed to kiss me hard, pinning me underneath him.

"If I do recall Coop, it was you that wanted to be a good girl for your King. Or am I mistaken?" he smirked, raising an eyebrow. I chewed my bottom lip at the memory of all the things we explored the previous night.

"No sir, you're not mistaken. We both know how much I love pleasing my King," I kissed him once more before I shimmied out of his embrace. I stood up, put on a new pair of panties before pulling on one of his threadbare shirts. "Now, how about I show you what a _good girl_ I am in the kitchen and make my King breakfast for a change?"

"Mmmm, you won't hear me complain at all, Princess," he chuckled, pulling on his pajama pants before chasing me out the bedroom. I ran squealing and giggling all the way to the kitchen.

He finally caught me just as we reached the kitchen, grabbing my waist and spinning me around for another kiss.

He lifted me up and placed me on the countertop, standing between my legs and getting impossibly close. I could feel him grinning against my lips as I wrapped my arms around his neck and he pressed his hardening core to mine. Just as I reached into his pajamas and wrapped my hand around him, the front door slammed open.

"Hey loser, I'm home! Thanks for picking me up at the bus station like you promised! I just _love_ trying to convince a cab to come to this dive. You owe me $50 bucks for that mess. Oh and Gladys says hi by th-," Jughead stiffened and clung to me as the voice dropped off mid-sentence.

"Shit! Uh, sorry bro, I didn't see anything! I'm just gonna go to my room and gouge my eyes out, just come get me when you guys are, um, done," the woman paused, "And dude, make sure you disinfect the counter, please!" I looked over Jug's shoulder just in time to see a girl walking towards the spare room, hand blocking her eyes, dragging a suitcase behind her. I could barely stifle a giggle at the redness in his cheek. He nipped at my neck teasingly and pulled my hand from his pants.

"Hey Betts, um, wanna meet my sister?"


	10. Chapter 9: Girl, interrupted

I was utterly mortified. This wasn't the exact scenario I imagined when I thought about being introduced to Jug's baby sister: half-naked with my tongue down his throat and my hand down his pants while he pinned me to their kitchen counter. I'm fairly certain the poor girl would never be able to unsee that image for the rest of her life. I knew it definitely hits in the top 10 of the most embarrassing things I had experienced in my lifetime. Knowing how much JB meant to Jughead, I really wanted to make a good impression with her but I guess you worked with what you got. _Time to get the awkwardness out of the way._

While Jughead was busy in the bathroom, I found my bra and slipped it on before grabbing one of Jug's clean shirts to wear. I had at least had the forethought to leave some leggings here when I took all of my clothes to the Pembrooke to wash so I threw them on and pulled my hair up into a messy bun. It wasn't perfect but it would do.

I was doing some light makeup when I caught Jughead's reflection in the mirror watching me from the doorway to his bathroom. I giggled to myself when I saw what he was wearing: his pajama pants and a shirt that reads '_**If you find me offensive then I suggest you quit finding me**_'. I had never in my life seen a tee-shirt that was more suited to my boyfriend's personality than that.

As I finished up with my lip gloss, I felt him wrapping his arms around my waist and trailing soft kisses up my neck. I leaned back to rest my head against his chest and sighed. I hadn't felt this close to someone in years and I didn't ever want it to end.

"You ready for this, Betts?" he asked as he continued to nuzzle my neck. I tilted my head, placing a soft kiss to his jaw before I turned around in his arms. His eyes sparkled in the morning sunlight, making the butterflies erupt in my belly as I stared into them.

"Absolutely," I whispered before kissing him one more time. He laughed and lead me out into the living room so he could try and coax Jellybean from her room.

"Hey Jelly, come out here a minute, I have someone I want you to meet." Jughead knocked on Jellybean's bedroom door without any reply.

I could hear her blasting '_**Starman**_' by David Bowie, which made me smile easily. I couldn't help but think that she and I were going to get along just fine if her musical tastes were any indication.

"Come on Jellybean, please? I really want you to meet my girlfriend-," with that, the record she was listening to came screeching to a halt and the door flew open. I finally got to see her fully for the first time and she was breathtakingly beautiful. She had long straight black hair, the same oceanic eyes as her brother, and the exact same crooked smile. Almost like they were twins and not four years apart in age.

She was much shorter than Jughead and had a much smaller frame but you could see from the look in her eyes that she had the Jones' spunky personality. She almost had a punk-rock pixie look about her that I found very endearing. She wore black ripped jeans and a Led Zeppelin tee shirt with a flannel shirt tied around her waist.

_Well, they definitely have the same fashion sense,_ I thought with a chuckle.

Just by seeing their similarities between the siblings, I could already tell they both heavily favored FP in the looks department. Jellybean wore a look of shock on her face at the statement Jughead just made but that quickly faded to a sarcastic grin.

"First off FP3, how many times I gotta tell you, it's **JB** now. I'm an adult and I don't need a name like Jellybean following me around my whole life," she said sternly as she narrowed her eyes at him. "Secondly, how did _you_ manage to get anyone to agree to be your girlfriend? Have you looked in a mirror? Is she blind or stupid?" She asked, sticking out her tongue and smirking.

Jughead rolled his eyes and flipped her the bird but before he can react to her smart-ass remarks, I walked up and beat him to the punch. I knew she was teasing him so I decided to give her a taste of her own medicine.

"Hi JB, I'm Betty. It is very nice to meet you. I've heard a lot of good things about you from Juggie," I reached out and shook her hand firmly. "To clarify, I can assure you I am neither blind nor stupid. You have to know your brother is devastatingly handsome seeing as you guys favor each other so much. I haven't had the pleasure of meeting your mother but I can say for certain that the Jones DNA is **strong**."

I laughed and turned to Jughead with a big smile, placing my hand on his cheek and looking deep into his eyes. I gave him a devilish grin and cocked my eyebrow before spinning back to face JB. "Your brother really is the sweetest, most gentleman I have ever known. Oh! And he definitely gets extra credit points for giving me the **best** orgasms of my life. I can't really say I have ever screamed someone's name quite so loudly before. Especially last night, right Juggie?" I asked, giving her a wink and a smile before turning back to my boyfriend. Jug clasped his hand over his mouth to stop his outburst of laughter and JB looked like she wanted to vomit.

"Ok, _ew_. So much TMI, Blondie. But good to know my brother is, um, _adequate_ in that department. Vomit," JB shuddered, the look of utter disgust on her face was priceless. "Anyway- seriously, I was just giving Jug a hard time because he's my brother and it's kind of in the job description to be a pain in his ass."

Jug pulled her into his side for a hug and kissed her hair and JB smiled, squeezing him around the waist. You could see from their body language just how much they loved each other and I felt so lucky that I got to be apart of this intimate moment between the two siblings. He practically raised her once he turned 18 so he felt like more than just her big brother, he was her protector. It was a beautiful thing to see and it made me miss Polly just a little bit more.

"I missed you, Jelly. I'm sorry I forgot that I was supposed to pick you up. I was- well, a bit distracted," Jug looked away as the color rose in his cheeks. It was so adorable watching him blush for a change.

"Again, ew. But it's cool, it wasn't too awful. Truthfully. I really am surprised he has a girlfriend though. Jug doesn't ever date, like _ever_. I honestly thought he was celibate or gay or something," JB jabbed his ribs with her elbow to remove his hold on her, grabbing my hand to drag me to the sofa.

Before I knew what was happening, we were spun into a game of 20 questions with me in the hot seat. She was trying to figure out where we met, how long we had been together, whether I knew what type of "work" he did, what type of work I do, and anything else she could think of. Jug just stood leaning against the island with an amused look on his face while rubbing his finger across his lips.

_Guess this is payback for V's inquisition on him. Glad to see he is finding this so amusing,_ I thought.

Everything seemed to be going well until JB suddenly stopped and turned to look at Jug. I noticed his eyes grow wide as his face falls into a stoic expression and when she turned back I saw it. The look. She looked terrifying. Her look was ...pestilential. I flinched as she grabbed my wrist tightly and squeezed hard enough to bruise.

"Listen closely. I like you Blondie, but just so you know, you hurt him and they won't find anything left of you. And I don't mean because of the Serpents either. We have an understanding?" she spat viciously, pausing briefly as I nodded, "Good. I may not look like much size-wise but I'm a forensic science major and I know a guy in Greendale that owns a pig farm. They eat bone, Betty. **Bone**," Jellybean gave me a sinister grin and released her grip on my wrist, softly patting my cheek. I am so shocked I couldn't do anything but stare at with my mouth agape while I rubbed my sore wrist. What the hell does one even say in response to something like that?

"We good?" And just like that, JB had turned back from Miss Jekyll into Miss Jones. The abrupt switch left my head spinning. This little five-foot-nothing firecracker of a girl just flat out threatened to feed me to Wilbur down the street if I were to ever hurt Jug and I honestly didn't know whether to laugh or run for the hills. The glint in Jughead's eyes told me it was more of the former as opposed to the latter... Or at least that was the hope. I swallowed hard, still not sure what to say to her when JB turned back towards him and they both burst into fits of laughter. It took a second for me to register that they were having some little inside joke at my expense and I reluctantly relaxed.

"I'm sorry Betty, I just had to. Jug is always saying if I ever bring a guy home he is going to scare the crap outta them by threatening them with bodily harm or death. Figured I had to take my chance when I could," she smiled gently making me feel much better than before. "I can already tell you really like my brother and I know he must like you if he brought you into his world so quickly," Jellybean pulled me into a quick hug and then stood up.

"So since you weirdos decided to defile our kitchen and I'm starving, which one of you is buying me Pops?" She asked as she turned to grab her shoes, heading for the front door. She paused at the door and turned back to her brother, "I'll wait downstairs in the bar. Jug, try not to fuck her on the way down, k? What I walked in on this morning is already burned into my cornea, I don't need my ears to bleed too. I'm way too hungry to deal with that kind of trauma."

My face instantly burned crimson at her boldness but I suppose I asked for that with my little comments earlier. Jug walked up beside me and kissed my temple.

"Let's go get the child her food. Trust me, you won't like her when she is hangry," he chuckled.

As we parked the truck in front of Pop's, I broke out in a cold sweat and got this really awful feeling in the pit of my stomach. All the fear I had felt from the night before had started to creep its way back in and I could feel a panic attack trying to surface. I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to breathe and begging for my mind to stop spinning.

I had been doing so well lately. I had only had one major panic attack since I left college and that was when Archie, well, pulled an Archie. My new therapist and I had been working together to help get my anxiety under control but I should have known that experiencing something so traumatic would cause things to bubble over. I hadn't told Jughead much about my issues, just that I would see a therapist a few times a month and he never pushed me or asked questions to know more. I really didn't want to have a meltdown in public but especially not in front of Jughead and Jellybean. I was terrified of what they would think of me and I wasn't sure if he was ready to hear about all of my past. About my darkness.

I was trembling uncontrollably, afraid that I wouldn't be able to stop the tears that threatened to form. I went through my grounding techniques: five things I could see, smell, feel, taste, and hear. I tried imagining myself in my happy place and blocking out the fears. I even tried the square breathing technique that my high school counselor had shown me. Nothing was helping.

It wasn't until I heard Jug's soft voice in my ear that I opened my eyes and noticed him holding my clenched hands in his. My whole body shuddered and my breathing was ragged. I looked around and noticed that JB must have been concerned and gone inside to give us some privacy. I could see her sitting down in a booth and giving us a small wave.

I could tell from the way his lip trembled that Jughead was really worried about what had just happened to me. I could feel the warm blood in my palms so there was no getting around this discussion anymore.

"Betts, baby? Do you want to talk about it?" he asked, continuing to gently cradle my hands and rubbing his thumbs along my knuckles.

_Ok, Betty, you can do this. Don't be scared. This is what Dr. Jen said would need to be done if I started having episodes again. PTSD is a real thing. You are not crazy._ I repeated the words of my therapist in my head, trying to find the courage to tell him her secret.

"Um, I think I... I think I'm comfortable enough with you that I can. And it's something you should know before you decide if you still want to be with me," I slowly opened my hands to reveal my gnarled, bloodstained palms to him. The gasp that escaped his mouth was almost deafening and on instinct, I tried to close my hands - trying to hide my shame - but he wouldn't let me and held them open instead.

"Oh babygirl, please don't hide this from me. I promise I won't judge you. Please... let me help you," he opened his glove compartment to retrieve a small first aid kit. I quirked my eyebrow at him in question. "You never know when you need one Betts, especially in my line of work."

He quietly cleaned the blood off my hands, disinfecting them and placing bandages over the wounds. I could see him struggle with wanting to ask me for more information - and I wanted to tell him - but maybe not in the parking lot of Pop's during the lunch rush while his sister waited for us.

"Juggie, I promise I will tell you everything but not here, okay? It may take a while to explain everything and I don't want to be out in public when I tell you about my... _issues,_" I frowned, looking down at my freshly bandaged palms. He cupped my chin softly, lifting my face up and placed a tender kiss to my lips.

"Ok Princess, I'm okay with that. We can just go eat and then we can go back to the Wyrm and spend the day in bed, just the two of us. We can talk about as much or as little as you want baby, no pressure," He held my hands up and kissed my palms before leaning in to kiss my lips softly.

I didn't know how I ever got so lucky to find a guy like him, and I don't care that we have only known each other for a few months, I am completely, hopelessly, in love with him. One thing was very clear to me, I loved him and I needed him more than I had needed anyone before.

I'd spent so many years living with differing degrees of anxiety-induced fear that for the first time, I realized that I had never felt as safe as I did when I was with him. I needed him to be my safe place, to help protect me from the demons inside my mind. As he stepped out of the truck to make his way over to my door, I started to feel the panic creeping back up again and I felt frozen to my spot. I couldn't move, sheer terror holding me firmly to the seat.

"Juggie, I'm scared," my voice trembled and I chastised myself for sounding so weak. "Those men... What if they come back, Juggie? I-I don't know what I'll do if-," I choked, feeling Jug pulling me to my feet and wrapping me in his arms. Just him rubbing my back and holding me was already making my fear subside some as I melted into his chest.

"Betts, I promise I'll protect you. I won't let them hurt you anymore, okay? I swear to you, Princess. I **will **keep you safe," his voice came out as just a whisper but it was so strong, so sure of itself.

Deep down, I knew he was telling me the truth but I knew that when I had to be here alone while he was working that I wouldn't feel safe. He wouldn't be there if something happened and that scared the hell out of me.

Almost as if he could read my thoughts he asked me the one question I have been asking myself since last night, "Betty, do you think you're still going to be able to work for Pop? I mean... After everything that happened to you, do you think you'll feel safe here again?"

Truthfully, I didn't know what the answer to that question was. I loved working at Pop, and the diner had been a part of my life since the time I was old enough to gum a french fry, but just being here triggered my anxiety attacks and I didn't know if I could come back here for a while.

"I d-don't know what to do, Jug. I know it's just Pop's - same old diner I grew up going to - b-but I don't think I-I can go in there. Not for a little while at least. It's too much a-and I'm afraid I'll have another p-panic attack." I said shakily, looking down at my feet and took a deep breath to steady my nerves. "My therapist told me I needed to avoid my triggers as much as possible but I need to work. I have bills to pay, and attorney fees, and I-I-I..." I choked back a sob, feeling myself starting to spiral but Jughead was there to pull me back from the edge and kept me grounded.

"Shhh, we'll figure it out, Princess. I promise you. Listen, get back in the truck. I'm going to go talk to Pop, explain that you need some time off-," I tried to interrupt him but he placed his fingers to my lips and continued, "No arguing, Cooper. I will get us some food to go and see if Jelly is okay with hanging out with Toni at the bar for tonight. We'll get this all figured out, babygirl," he whispered into my hair, kissing my temple and closing my door.

I watched him as he walked inside and spoke to JB who nodded and gave him a hug before blowing me a kiss. He stood at the counter speaking to Pop Tate and while Pop looked sad, it was almost like he understood why I was not coming inside. Finally, Pop handed Jug our food and waved him off when he tried to pay and turned to smile at me through the window. I felt a little better now but I still felt like I was letting him down somehow.

Once Jughead got back to the truck, he handed me our bags with a smile and drove straight back to his place. It was strange really. The closer we got to the Whyte Wyrm, the safer I felt. Most Northsiders would have felt the exact opposite being on the Southside but I just felt at home here like I had always belonged here.

He parked the truck on the side of the building and ran around, offering me his arm as he opened my door, "Malady," he said in a cheesy accent, bowing as I exited the truck. I couldn't help but giggle at his silliness. His smile grew even bigger as he tucked me under his arm to lead me inside.

Once we got upstairs into his apartment, he continued to be goofy and tickled me to keep me laughing. It made me so happy to know that he was trying to make me feel better in the only way he knew how at the moment.

I placed our food on the counter and when I turned around his arms went around me like a vice, holding me to him like he was trying to keep me from crumbling. Like he wanted me to feel how much he cared about me. When he pulled back he kept me pinned to the countertop, kissing my nose and cheeks as I giggled. It was then that I noticed the lustful look that began clouding his eyes, causing me to shiver in anticipation of what was to come.

"Did you know that that's my favorite sound in the world, Princess? Your laugh is so beautiful. But I'll tell you a secret," he leaned in to breathe a whisper into my ear, "You screaming my name while you climax is definitely a close second." He nibbled on my earlobe and I felt my legs turn to jelly as he kissed his way down to my neck, the heat beginning to pool in my core.

"Jug- Juggie, I hope you're okay with eating your burgers cold," I whimpered as he continued his assault on my senses.

"Oh Princess, I don't mind at all. Besides, I have a feeling I'll be eating something nice and warm here in a few minutes," he said, wiggling his eyebrows at me and licking his lips. That was all it took and I was dragging him towards the bedroom. I needed to have him again.

He closed the bedroom door as I pulled my shirt off and unhooked my bra, letting it fall to the floor. His eyes darkened with desire and I knew he was about to pounce. I bit my lip and gave him a doe-eyed look before I spoke, knowing it drove him insanely wild.

"You know, I think you might be right, Jones. Good thing you have such a **big **appetite," and with those words, I allowed him to devour me.

"Juggie?" Jughead looked up at me lazily from where his head laid perched on my breast and smiled. He looked so young after we made love, sated and content. Like nothing bad could or would ever happen. I ran my hand through his curls and knew I was an absolute goner.

"Yeah, baby? You okay?" He scooted up higher on the bed so he could prop himself up on his elbow.

"Yeah Juggie, I'm better than okay. I actually think I'm ready to tell you what happened earlier at Pop's," I gnawed on my lip trying to figure out where to even start. "Well, I've had issues with anxiety and depression since high school, I mean I told you about how hard it was on me dealing with Alice all those years." I paused but he nodded for me to continue.

"Well, I have never told anyone what I'm about to tell you. All my life, it was so ingrained into me to be perfect until finally one day I just kind of snapped," I could feel the weight of all those years of darkness coming to the surface. _I definitely needed to get this out._

"I have always had this... darkness. It has always been in the back of my mind telling me terrible things and that I needed to hurt myself," I said, the tears flowing freely now, "I couldn't take the pressure and halfway through my freshman year of college I had a nervous breakdown. My doctors said it was from the stress of years of being pushed to my limits and taking meds I didn't need," Jughead looked at me forlorn as he wiped my tears. He kissed my forehead before resting it against his.

"Betty, there is nothing wrong with having mental health issues. I'm glad you told me, baby, I want you to know that you're not alone in this. I want to help you - anyway I can." _God, this man is more than I could ever hope to dream of._

"Well Juggie, right now I was just thinking maybe you could help me figure out what I'm going to do? You know for a job and everything?" I bit my lip, not really knowing why I was nervous to ask him any of this.

"Of course, Princess. Anything you need, I will help however I can. Truthfully, I was doing some thinking of my own after we left Pop's," He said, smiling gently as he tucked a stray hair behind my ear.

"I couldn't help thinking about how much I liked having you around and how much I want to protect you. So I was thinking, if you want, would you like to come work for me here at the Wyrm?" Jughead looked so nervous and I felt my heart fluttering at the sight.

"Really, Juggie? Are you sure? I don't really have any bar experience or anything," I asked. I really needed him to be sure about this, it was a big step.

"Yes, Princess. Besides, you already have waitressing experience and whatever you don't know than Toni or Fangs could teach you. What do ya say?" He turned on the puppy dog eyes and I couldn't resist any longer.

"Ok, I'll do it!" I squealed, so ecstatic I couldn't contain it.

"Really? You really want to see me - even more - every day and work for me and be around a bunch of bikers?" His eyes lit up as I nodded my reply. He planted kisses all over my face and sighed but then I noticed his smile faltered just a little.

"Betts, I also had another idea and I wanted to see what you thought about it. I know we're still pretty new in this relationship and I know you are already here like 90% of the time but I was thinking maybe, um- maybe you might want to, I don't know, stay here with me more often?" He asked, smiling hopefully but his eyes still show how frightened he was. I felt my heartbeat quickening at his question.

"Are- are you asking me to move in with you, Juggie?" I searched his eyes for any trace of doubt.

"I guess I am, Princess. I spent the better part of two decades losing time with you, I don't want to miss anything else," he caressed my face and I felt my heart melt. _Yup, I am definitely a goner. _

"I need to talk to Ronnie first but I'd love to move in with you, Juggie," his lips crashed into mine in an unrelenting kiss as his hands roamed my body. I could feel his growing desire pressed against my thigh and I shivered. When he finally broke free from our passionate kiss, he gave me a devilish grin.

"Well Princess, I guess this calls for a celebration, huh?" He wiggled his eyebrows before beginning his descent under the blankets, kissing and suckling on my skin.

Thank God JB was with Toni because it didn't take long before I was screaming his name again, over and over.


	11. Chapter 10: Resident Evil

One Week Later...

"B, are you sure about this? I mean, don't get me wrong, I am all for you and Jughead living happily ever after. But-," Veronica rambled as she paced back and forth at the foot of my bed while I packed things up for my initial move. I placed my hands on her shoulders to keep her in place and looked into her eyes. I could see that her nerves were getting the better of her already simply from the way she was attempting to burn a hole in my rug.

Understandable reaction? Yes, given the series of misfortunes that brought me back home in the first place but I knew this was what I wanted. I had never wanted anything more in my whole life.

"Ronnie... I know you're just trying to look out for me but I'm good. I'm actually better than good, to be honest. Promise," I gave her the best sincere smile I could muster up, needing to reassure her. Veronica hugged me, clinging to me as if her life depended on it. I knew this would be difficult for us both to adjust to, having been roommates for less than a year, but both of us knew it was the logical next step. For both of our relationships.

"Oh alright Betty, I promise not to mother hen you anymore," Veronica sighed, her shoulders slumping in defeat. "I just don't want this to be because Reggie is wanting to move in with me. We can all live together as roomies if that is the only reason you want to leave."

"Oh God V, no! That has nothing to do with it, I swear!" I exclaimed. My poor sweet V, I hate that she thinks that this is about living with Reggie. I needed to make sure she knew that this was not about her, it was about me and Jughead and wanting to be together.

"Ronnie, this just feels... right, you know? It's like he is what I came home for. All this pain wasn't for nothing, it was to bring me to my soulmate," I smiled at the thought of my beautiful man and how much he cares about me. I really am just so lucky to have found him.

"Oh girl, you've got it bad! And what about your rebel without a cause? How does he feel about all this?" Veronica quirked her eyebrows and grinned, pulling me down to sit on the bed beside her.

"Well, if you must know V, it was kind of his idea. And he offered me a job so I could leave Pop's behind too. He actually wants me to work at the Wyrm and live their lifestyle," I paused for a moment to gather my thoughts, "I think he's the one. V. I have never felt like this before. Ever. And I know he feels the same way, I can see it in his eyes," I smiled dreamily, my cheeks glowing at all the sweet words he whispered to me that night.

"Oh my God, swoon! Well, who am I to stop my bestie from being with her one true love. I'm just gonna miss you so much!" Veronica cried, placing her hand over her heart and smiling through her tears.

"Geez Veronica, I'm moving to the Southside, not the South Pole. We will still see each other all the time and..." I grabbed her both of her hands and squeezed, "...this way you have an excuse to come to the Wyrm and have drinks on the weekends," as I pulled her into another long hug, I felt my phone vibrating.

Juggie: Hark, Princess!😉 Are you ready to come down from your ivory tower and ride off into the sunset?

Betts: Well hello Prince Charming, think you can come over and help me grab a few boxes? Then we can just get the rest this weekend before my shift at the Wyrm? 😘 💜

Juggie: Well that depends, love. Is Ronnie going to try to behead me for stealing you away? 😬

I snorted and showed the text to Veronica who could do nothing but glare at the message while I giggled. He already knows her so well... I thought.

Betts: Uh, hard to say. She may or may not go Maleficent on you, you'll just have to run that risk 😉 Well, that is if you want to rescue the princess 👸 Just be prepared to slay the mighty dragon if necessary lol. 🐉 ️🛡️

Juggie: On my way, fair maiden 😉 See you in 15, my love. 😘

God this man makes my heart melt. I didn't know what I ever did to deserve him, but I was so glad that I had him all to myself.

"Jug's on his way over, V. Please don't try to scare him. I think he is genuinely afraid of you," I chuckled.

Honestly, who is not afraid of Veronica in some form or fashion. She is a Lodge after all.

"What? Little ol' me? Surely not," Veronica said with a mischievous wink.

Before I could reply, we heard a knock at the front door.

"Juggie must have been closer than he thought," I ran to answer the door, expecting to see Jughead only to come face to face with the one person from my past I never wanted to see again.

Archie.

I felt the anger starting to rise from deep in my gut as I stared into his eyes. He looked me up and down, smirking at me.

How dare he show up like this, unannounced, and with a smile on his face of all things. I seethed.

"Hey there babe, did you miss me?" Archie staggered forward, trying to grab my hips but losing his footing instead. We slammed into the doorframe and I could smell the stench of alcohol on his breath.

The bile in my throat threatened to come out as I pushed him away, blocking his entry to the apartment. He just stared at me with a Cheshire grin, still trying to touch me.

"What in the actual fuck do you think you are doing here, Archie?! How the hell did you even know where I was or what apartment number was mine for that matter?" I whisper screamed at him. I was beyond enraged at this point but I was trying not to raise my voice too much to keep some semblance of privacy.

He laughed bitterly and gave me an incredulous look before I saw anger flickering in his eyes.

"What? Am I not allowed to know where my wife is living? You left in such a huff that you didn't even give me a forwarding address. So, naturally, I had my attorney track you down. We are still married after all Elizabeth and I wanted to see my girl," Archie stepped forward in an attempt to caress my face but I swatted his hand away and glared at him.

I could feel the bile building in my throat again and at this point, I didn't care if God and country could hear me, my rage was taking over and there was no way I was controlling it right now.

"Your... girl? Your girl? Archibald Fredrick Andrews, have you lost your fucking mind? Did you forget it was you who cheated, it was you who asked me for a divorce and kicked me out, and it was you who "supposedly" knocked up another woman? Just because that trashy bitch lied about being pregnant doesn't automatically make me your girl again," I crossed my arms over my chest and stood tall, showing him he had no power over me any longer.

"I am not your girl, I will never be your girl ever again and . . I'm someone else's girl now and there is nothing you could ever do to change that," I grinned smugly, giving him all the Alice Cooper glare I could summon.

As the words leave my mouth I see Archie's cocky grin transform into a scowl and he stepped closer, pinning me to the doorframe. That's when I knew he was about to get hostile. See, Archie never could handle his drink very well and since he was already a controlling asshole, adding liquor just meant he could flip on a dime. It used to terrify me but I won't back down, not this time. I am done being afraid of him, especially now.

I was actually happy for the first time in I couldn't say how long and I refused to let him and his possessive delusions ruin it.

"You. Are. WHAT!?" Archie screamed, balling up his fists and glaring at me. Suddenly, he grabbed my chin and forced me to look into his eyes. "What do you mean 'you are someone else's girl'? You are mine, Elizabeth! You hear me?!" Archie stayed inches from my face, dropping his hand from my chin to wrap it around my throat and squeezing. I wrapped my hand around his wrist, trying to get air but he wouldn't let up.

"Don't forget Elizabeth, I took your virginity. I defiled you, I'm the only man who has ever touched you. You belong to me. Who else would want you anyway?" I could feel my vision starting to fade when out of nowhere I heard the voice I had been praying to hear since I opened the door.

"Well, that would be me there, Red. And I suggest you take your filthy hands off my girl before I cut your fucking hand off," Jughead growled angrily, eyes blown black with rage. I gasped for air as Archie dropped his hand from my throat and stared at Jughead in recognition. Even with Jug's seemingly calm demeanor, I could tell he was struggling to keep calm by the way his jaw was tensed. He had one hand in his back pocket - where I knew he keeps his switchblade - the other was balled into a fist at his side.

Archie stumbled backward in disbelief as Jughead stepped in front of me protectively and gently stroked my throat. He opened his balled-up fist and intertwined our hands together, giving me a reassuring squeeze. Jughead looked me over quickly, his angry eyes checking for any other damage before he turned to face Archie. I knew this was not going to end well, at all. No one put hands on the people who Jughead loved, especially not on me and not by my sleazeball of an ex-husband.

"Jones?" Archie said in confusion, laughing spitefully. "Are you fucking kidding me, Betty? You are whoring yourself out to this snake?" The way Archie spat out the last word made me even more angry about him being here. He could do or say what he wanted to about me but how the hell did he think he had the right to say things like that to Jughead - or any other Serpent for that matter.

He doesn't even know Jughead.

Wait... Right?

"Karma's a bitch ain't she, Andrews?" Jughead grinned, baring his teeth like some sort of animal. The look of fear mixed with shock was unmistakable on Archie's face. It was a look I rarely ever saw on him.

"Oh, what's wrong, Red? Can't handle the fact that Betty found a real man to please her?" Jug smirked, licking his lips lasciviously before continuing, "You fucked it up, Archie, you threw away the best woman on this planet and now she is mine." Jughead flicked open his knife and stepped closer to Archie menacingly.

"And I will tell you this just once, back the fuck off what's mine. I don't share. You should know what happens when you cross me by now, Red."

What? What does he mean 'You should know what happens when you cross me'?

How do they even know each other and why didn't Jug ever mention it to me? He knew who I was married to this whole time but never said a word to me! I didn't know what the fuck was happening but I needed some answers right damn now.

"Wait! You two know each other? How?" I asked in a shaky voice, speaking more to Jughead but before he could answer Archie decided to interject his story instead.

"Oh don't you know? Jug and I here go way back, don't we Jones?" Archie was purposely pushing Jughead's buttons to get a rise out of him and I knew he was getting close to snapping.

"Shut the hell up, Andrews!" Jughead's nostrils flared and his shoulders tensed as he glowered at him.

"Hey Jones, how is Jellybean anyway? She miss me?" My jaw hit the floor and I knew bad shit was about to happen but I wasn't about to allow Jughead to catch a charge over Archie's bullshit.

I grabbed Jug's shoulders and pushed him behind me into the apartment, yelling for Veronica to handle him while I dealt with this ginger asshat. I turned around to Archie - who was grinning like the cat that got the canary - and scowled at him.

"Leave. Now. And I don't mean this building. I mean, leave Riverdale. Go back to New York, go to California, shit go to Hell for all I care. But the next time I see you within 20 miles of this town I won't hold him or any other Serpent back. You got that, Andrews?" My body vibrated in anger, feeling hot and cold at the same time as if there were fire and ice pumping through my veins just waiting for me to combust.

I heard the ding of the elevator and glanced to see Andre heading our way. Clearly, Veronica had called him to take out the garbage.

"Oh Betty, Betty, Betty. This isn't over. You know, I think I may stop in to see Jellybean. She is still around town correct?" Archie licked his lips and that was all it took. I saw red.

CRACK!

Before I knew what had happened, I see Andre dragging a stunned and bloody Archie away. He was screaming some nonsense at me and I could see the source of all the blood was his nose. All I could hear was the blood pulsing in my ears and I could faintly register a slight pain in my hand.

I looked down and noticed my knuckles were bloody and split open, a large bruise starting to form across them. I just stood there for another minute before realizing that the door to the apartment was opened that entire time. I spun around to see Jughead standing beside Veronica, both frozen in a state of shock.

It wasn't very clear to me yet but I guess I snapped and punched Archie. Damn, that felt good. Real good. I thought, smiling to myself. He had deserved that for so long but now was no time for me to revel in the pain I inflicted on Archie. I needed to know what the hell I was missing here because obviously my ex and my new love have a strange, sorted past with one another.

"Forsythe Pendleton Jones the Third, you wanna explain to me what the fuck just transpired between you and my ex-husband? Because I have told you everything about Archie and my past with him and this whole time you didn't say a fucking word about knowing him? What the fuck, Jughead?!" I pointed my 'non-bruised' finger in his face and began to tap my foot impatiently. I didn't like finding out I was being lied to or not given information about things that directly related to my life.

"Ooooh, you are in so much trouble, Mister. Betty pulled out the full name. You better spill your guts before she does it for you," Veronica quipped. I glared at her and she shrugged and stepped beside me to face Jughead.

"Ok, ok no need to eviscerate me just yet ladies, I will tell you the whole sorted story. As long as Betty lets me take care of that hand first. To make sure it's not broken or anything," Jughead replied gently, glancing at my hand. I hadn't even thought about my hand but when I curled my fist I visibly winced. I nodded and we headed to the living room.

While Veronica went to the kitchen to make us some tea, Jughead worked on my hand. He had been awfully quiet since the whole encounter with Archie and even though I was enraged about him keeping things from me, I still wondered what he was thinking. I knew he probably thought that all my anger was with him but honestly, right now, I was just angry at the whole situation. I just wanted all the facts before I directed my anger at anyone in particular.

It was Jug that finally broke the silence between us.

"Well, it's not broken. It will probably hurt like hell for a few days so you will need to watch it but it doesn't look too awful. Good to know my girl can throw a punch if the need arises," he flinched when he is done talking, realizing what he said. I think he was waiting for me to lose it and scream at him but I placed my hand on him to reassure him.

"Juggie, I am not mad at you. Well, not completely at least. Yes, you are keeping something from me and that makes me angry. Especially after knowing I opened up to you but I know you had to have had your reasons. And if they involve JB, I can't be angry with you. That's your sister, I know whatever happened was to protect her. Just tell me the truth now," Jughead looked at me like he couldn't believe what he was hearing.

As Veronica returned and sat our drinks down, he sighed heavily and began his tale.

"Ok, yeah. I know Archie. I have known him for years. But you have to believe me when I say I didn't keep it from you to hurt you. I kept it to myself to protect you and to protect my sister. Archie was a demon from Jelly's past and I didn't want her upset or have her judge you because he was your husband," he lowered his head and raked his hands through his ebony hair, sending it into a wild mess of curls. I knew whatever Archie had done had tormented him deeply.

"Juggie..." I whispered. He looked up at me with glassy eyes and continued.

"Um, when I came back to Riverdale to work on dad's case, I met Archie. He and some of the other Bulldogs would come around to the Wyrm looking to score drugs or to pick up chicks that they thought might be easy. Something about points for some game they played. We were civil to each other, and he never gave me much trouble. Just chasing skirts and building up a rep for the 'one-night stand man'," his voice cracked in trepidation and he hesitated for a moment.

"It wasn't until a few years later that I found out that not all those one-nighters were 'consenting' adults. Shit, some weren't even adults yet. And I found out in the worst way possible. It was about two years after graduation and Archie come back home to Riverdale to visit on break," I vaguely recalled which break he was talking about.

It was Spring Break of our Sophomore year of college. We had planned to come back home together but then I ended up catching strep throat and was down for the count that whole week. He said he came home but never said what he did other than hanging out with the guys.

"He came into the Wyrm one night and that's when I noticed him eyeing Jellybean. Like a little too much for someone so much older than her. She was only a freshman in high school, for God's sake, but she loved the attention. It took a few days but he- he convinced her to let him take her virginity," There was an audible gasp from both Veronica and I, knowing that not only was she underage but that Archie and I were already dating at that point.

"Well, Jelly didn't know what to expect... she thought he really liked her. But he was really rough with her, actually- um, he tore her. But even when she told him it hurt, he didn't stop," I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Not only had Archie cheated on me multiple times but with a minor. A minor who he took advantage of. A minor who was the sister to the man I am in love with. How many other women - and girls - has he hurt?

"And the sick fuck told her that he was clean so they didn't need a condom. God... what 14-year-old needs to be told they have chlamydia? She was devastated. I'm just thankful that she was already on the pill or she could have gotten pregnant," Jughead was shaking uncontrollably and I could see that he was holding back tears, not wanting to cry in front of Veronica.

How could I have not seen this side of Archie? How could he have fooled me for so long? Am I just that naive? I felt so sick. I was married to a monster, a rapist, and I never even knew it.

Suddenly - like a ton of bricks - something hit me and I started to get angry again. What Jug said to Archie in the hall, 'Karma's a bitch ain't she, Andrews'...

No... No, he wouldn't-... He couldn't have meant-... Was I nothing more than cosmic retribution for Jughead. Or worse yet... Had he planned this whole thing out when he found me that night in the Wyrm? I could feel myself starting to tremble and my stomach lurched at the thought. Did he use me to get back at Archie for what he did to Jellybean?

"Jug, am I a revenge fuck?" I spat angrily with tears in my eyes. The voice that came out of me sounded so different from my own, it was smaller... and broken. Jughead eyes shot up from the floor to mine, panic setting into them.

"What?! No! Of course not! What would make you even think that Betts?" Tears fell freely down his cheeks now, the shame of crying in front of Veronica long gone. I could see he was terrified but I was just so angry, I needed to know if he had used me.

"You told Archie 'Karma's a bitch ain't she, Andrews'. Does that mean that I am nothing more than payback for what he did to your sister?" My lips wobbled as I tried desperately to keep the dam from bursting. Jughead grabbed me and pulled me into a crushing hug. The sobs racked through my chest and there was no holding them back anymore. He held me in his arms as I cried, rubbing my back soothingly.

"No baby, no. Don't ever think that. I just meant that he had all the luck before and now I do because I won your heart. Please don't cry. Shh, baby, please don't cry. I love you so much Betty," Jughead whispered into my hair before his hand froze on my back, realizing what he'd said to me. I leaned up slowly, my eyes shiny from the tears and I watched him. He looked afraid but almost hopeful.

"Jug, did you just say-," I started but Veronica interrupted before I could finish my question.

"I think I'm going to go see Reggie. Let me know when you are ready to leave, B. I will give you guys some privacy," she smiled and winked at me before walking out of the front door, locking it behind her. There was an awkward silence between us for the first time in our relationship and I didn't care for it.

"Juggie, did you just say you loved me?" Jughead looked at me with awe and devotion sparkling in his tears. Even if he never answered me I would have known that those were the words he spoke to me just from the look in his eyes.

"Yeah, I did. I do. I love you, Betty Cooper," his content smile made my breath catch. He loves me too! I am not crazy, he loves me too...

"I love you too, Jughead Jones. So much," I laughed as I launched myself at Juggie and began to kiss him, hard. There was so much need and urgency in the way we moved like we had to pour all our love into that one kiss. I swung my leg over him, straddling him and deepening the fevered kisses. I ran my hands into his hair and as he kisses my neck, moaning wildly when he found my hotspot.

He pulled back to remove my shirt, revealing my see-through black lace bralette. His primal groan sent shockwaves to my core and he bucked up against my heat, causing me to grind on him in response.

As soon as I feel his teeth graze my neck I knew I needed to have him - all of him - right here, right now. I tugged at the hem of his tee-shirt frenziedly and he responded by grabbing the back of his shirt and pulling it over his head, tossing it across the room.

After he tossed his shirt, my fingers traced the ridges and plains of his muscles - nails teasing them - causing him to flinch under my touch. He looked at me with hooded eyes, his mouth red and swollen from our heated kisses. He was the sexiest man I had ever seen and he was all mine. I wove my hands into his hair again, forcing him to look me directly in the eye.

"I love you so much, Juggie. More than I have ever loved anyone. You are it for me. You have my heart, my mind, my body, and my soul," I paused between each statement to kiss his face for emphasis. "Everything I have, I give to you. Forever," I whispered and with each peck to his face and jaw, his eyes grew softer and softer. I already knew he believed me. He didn't doubt how I felt about him.

"Now Juggie, how about we take this to my old room to have one last hoorah before I am officially shacking up with the Joneses?" I bit my lip suggestively, grinding my core against his length.

"You don't have to ask me twice, Princess. I hope that bedframe isn't expensive because it might not be standing after we are through with it," he said with a wink. I giggled as he lifted me up bridal style and we headed to my room.

Before he crossed the threshold he kissed my forehead and looked deep into my eyes, "Elizabeth Cooper, I love you more than life itself and I will spend the rest of my days showing you that. Tonight, tomorrow, every day until eternity ends, it will only ever be you."

"Do you think we should tell her, Betts?" Jughead's voice pulled me out of my trance. I sighed and glanced over at him briefly before looking out the window again. This is gonna be a tough decision.

"I mean, I think she deserves to know but do you think she can handle it, Juggie? It's just- he did her so wrong, Jug. He hurt her so badly, violated her in so many ways," I said sadly, still horrified by all I learned earlier in the day. I hate that this was something that even had to be talked about. Jellybean didn't deserve what happened to her and if she knew Archie was back, this could crush her. Then I realized that something else might crush her more...

"Jesus, does she even know he's my ex, Jug?" I said, beginning to panic at the thoughts. What if she hates me? What if she blames me for what he did, no matter how indirectly I was involved.

Sensing my fears, Jughead placed a hand on my knee and rubbed soothingly.

"Baby, first off, yes. I do think she can handle it. She is stronger than she looks. And yes, he hurt her physically and emotionally but that was a long time ago," he picked up my hand and kissed it gently.

"I know you had no idea what he was doing so don't worry. Jelly will know that too. I just thank God you didn't catch anything from him too. This is not your fault. Archie is to blame. He is scum. Jelly will understand that," he said. His words were reassuring but didn't dampen the fear of how she might react. Unfortunately, I knew what needed to be done.

"Guess there is only one way to find out," I whispered, taking a deep breath and squeezing his hand.

Once we arrived at the Wyrm, we unloaded the five or six boxes I packed and lugged them upstairs with the help of Sweet Pea, Fangs, and Joaquin. My nerves were already calming just from being back here with my little family. We had all gotten so close and I was so grateful for them.

But, leave it to Sweet Pea to be the first to notice something off about our behavior.

"Alright, what the hell's up? You two aren't being your normal, overly sickening, smoochie selves," he grunted, setting a box on the countertop and noticing my bandaged hand.

"What the fuck happened to Blondie's hand? Did something go down again? What's wrong Jug?" Sweet Pea pushed. Jughead looked at me and waited for me to nod before he replied.

"Ok, so you guys are going to find out soon enough and I need you to be on high alert in case he shows up here, but Betty's ex showed up at her old place tonight drunk and getting handsy... and violent," all three of the young Serpents just stood there, jaws clenching. Fangs broke the silence and spoke first.

"Did he hurt you, Betty? Is that why your hand is bandaged up?" Jughead's husky chuckle caused me to blush and my heart rate to quicken. He was so proud of the fact that I could protect myself if need be.

"Actually Fangs, she punched him. Punched him real good, you guys should be proud," he praised as they all grinned at me causing me to blush even more.

"Good on ya Coop, knew you were a firecracker. So, what? We need to bounce his sorry ass if he shows up?" Joaquin asked.

"Actually guys, I don't even want this guy in the bar at all. We have a history with him already. Pea, you actually met him once. His name is Archie," Sweet Pea looked at Jughead confused.

"Jug, only Archie I know is that red-headed piece of shit Northsider - no offense, Blondie - and his last name definitely ain't Cooper," my head dropping in embarrassment, knowing I had to admit my married name to them. Jughead gave me a sympathetic look and nudged my shoulder.

"Betts, tell 'em," he said as he grabbed my hand and squeezed to reassure me. The guys all looked at me even more confused. I lowered my head again and my voice came out as almost a squeaking sound.

"Um, Cooper is my maiden name. My married name is Betty... Andrews," Sweet Pea looked at me, his face twisting from confusion into one of hate and he stepped forward until we are toe to toe and he towered over me.

Jug moved to step in between us but I motioned with my hand to stop him. I lifted my chin up higher and stared Sweet Pea down. I will not back down when I did nothing wrong.

"Andrews!? As in Archie fucking Andrews?! You're married to that no good son of a bitch?! Did you know what he did? God, is this some sick fucking joke?" he spat at me, his deadly gaze burning into my soul. I clenched my fists, ignoring the pain shooting through my knuckles and narrowed my eyes at him.

"How can we trust that you aren't part of some new sick game he has, huh? You just show up here in a slutty little outfit one day and suddenly Jughead is fuc-," Jughead tried to interfere again but I wouldn't take this bullshit anymore.

"THAT'S ENOUGH!" I screamed, my nostrils flaring. I could feel the heated anger radiating off of him but I would not let him intimidate me. Fuck that noise! I poked him in the ribs as I began to speak.

"Let's get a few things straight here, Sweets. First off, I had no idea who Archie really was before I married him. If I had, you can bet your ass I would've been hard-pressed not to kill him myself," I stepped closer and showed no fear, feeling all my pent up rage surfacing.

"Secondly, I am no longer married to him, even if the divorce is not final yet. That ship didn't just sail, the fucker went up in flames," I stated. My chest was heaving and I could feel my nails piercing my unbandaged hand but it wasn't enough to stop my rage.

"And as for me showing up here in 'my slutty outfits' and suddenly I'm banging the Serpent King? Well, Sweet Pea, I don't give a fuck if I'm just here to bounce on Jug's dick and look pretty, you will show me some fucking respect. Not because of who he is, but because of who I am." Jughead looked smugly at me while the other boys were completely speechless.

"I have just as much right to be here as anyone else in this bar. See, even if I wasn't Jug's girl, I am still a Serpent by blood. In fact, my mother was once - and still is - FP Jones' Queen. That in itself commands some damned common courtesy, you fucking tool," I spat.

Man, if the word flabbergasted had a face, it would be Sweet Pea's at this moment.

"Oh, and Sweet Pea? I know that Serpent Law says 'a Serpent shall never betray or harm his own' but that doesn't mean I can't knock you on your ass if you get in my damn face like that ever again. I'm fairly certain that I broke Archie's nose, I don't have any issues with attempting to break your jaw. So please, fucking try me 'cause I have a decade of pent up rage that is just screaming to come out!" I said with controlled seething, narrowing my eyes and staring Sweet Pea down until he held his hands up in surrender and backed down.

"Damn Jones, remind me to never piss off your old lady," Fangs laughed. My eyes snapped to him and I tilted my head to the side.

"Wanna repeat that Fangs?" I growled, shooting him a death glare that had him tripping over himself to backpedal.

"What'd I tell you, straight up firecracker," Joaquin laughed and smacked Jug.

"Tell me about it," Jughead smirked proudly. He cocked his head to the side and beckoned me over. Still seething, I walked into his waiting arms and instantly felt calmer.

"I'm so proud of you, Betts," he whispered, kissing my hair and lifting my chin to look him in the eyes, "Bounce on my dick, huh?" I smacked his chest and giggled.

"Hey, it just came out!" I stated, blushing at his grin.

"That's what she said!" Joaquin and Fangs said in unison.

"Lord, you guys are such dorks!" I picked up a dishtowel and threw it in their direction. We all had a good laugh, that was until we heard a voice behind us from the hall.

"Did you mean it, Betty?"

Fuck... I screwed my eyes shut. We all swung around to see Jellybean standing there, pale as a ghost and trembling. I heard Sweet Pea swearing under his breath from behind me and I panicked.

DOUBLE FUCK. Not how I wanted to tell her, I mentally smacked myself on the forehead at that thought. I looked up at JB and I could see she was waiting on my reply.

"Did I mean what, JB?" I asked in a hushed voice, slowly making my way towards her like she was a wounded animal.

"Did you mean it about not knowing what he was. And that you would have killed him had you known?" I could see the tears pricking the corners of her eyes and at that moment I had never wanted to hurt Archie more than I do right now.

"I promise you JB, if I had known, I would have kicked his ass and probably castrated him. I'm so sorry for what he did to you. Please believe me, I didn't know," Jellybean held her hand up.

"It's ok Betty, I believe you. He hurt you too," I pulled her into an embrace and we both cried.

"Jelly, I promise, I won't let him hurt you ever again. I may not be as big and scary as the boys here but-," Fangs snorted out a laugh and I turned my head to face them, my eyebrow raised.

"Well, you sure as hell fooled us, Blondie. I know I never wanna cross you after that speech," Sweet Pea added, his eyes flickering between me and Jellybean. Hmmm... That's interesting...

"Good. Now, if you see that fucking ginger lurking around, tell me. I already warned him and Betty Cooper doesn't warn twice," I said sternly. "JB, why don't you go lay down for a bit while me and Jug get my stuff unboxed? When you get up, we can order in. Sound good?"

Jellybean nodded and squeezed my torso one last time before disappearing into her room. I pinched the bridge of my nose with my thumb and forefinger, sighing heavily.

"Alright boys, you heard her: let's get these boxes to my room and then we need to have a security plan in place," Jughead kissed my temple before helping the guys take the boxes back to our room.

Watching them walk into the room, it hit me.

I want to be a Southside Serpent.


	12. Chapter 11: Pulp Fiction

"_Betty, I 'm advising you - not only as your lawyer but also as one of your oldest friends - you need to call my dad and have an order of protection put into place against Archie. This is serious. He's __**stalking**_ _you at this point,"_ Kevin's voice pleaded on the other line. I was trying to reason with him while trying my hardest to not wake up Jughead.

Today was my first Friday as an official resident of the Southside and it was also _supposed_ to be a day where I wasn't going to have to deal with my ex-husband issues. I had planned to spend most of the day lounging around before hanging in the bar with Jug and the Serpents. A nice, calm day.

However, that went out the window when Kevin called me in a panic at 7 am. Apparently, he somehow heard about what happened earlier this week and he had spent the better part of the last hour trying to get me to change my mind on pressing charges.

_I really need to kill whoever blabbed. They all know how protective Kevin can be when it comes to me, _I groaned. Kevin Keller has been my closest confidant for longer than anyone else I know, even Archie.

I met Kevin in the 4th grade when Chuck Clayton and a group of boys at Riverdale Elementary were picking on him for being overweight and nerdy. Even then, my little 10-year-old self was not about to stand by and let something like that happen.

I remember jumping between Chuck and Kevin, pushing him back as far as I could and glaring at him until he left Kevin alone. When they walked away, I grabbed Kevin's hand and dragged him to my secret hideaway in the library to make sure he was safe.

From that day forward we were a team and we stuck together. I was the one to volunteer to kiss him so he could see what it was like. The one he came out to first - even before his parents - because he said I was the only one who would really understand. I was the one he cried to when Moose broke his heart in 12th grade by asking Midge Klump to marry him. And I was the one who he called when Jake left. Kevin was as close to me as a friend could be and he was as protective as a brother.

"I told you already Kev, I'm pretty sure I broke his nose. Do you really think that Archie wouldn't press charges in a minute if he knew I was trying to get an OOP against him? Archie is vindictive as hell, you know this," I sighed in frustration.

This whole situation was just turning into one giant plethora of bullshit and I could feel myself getting more and more anxious with each passing moment. I just needed this to be over already.

"_Let him try to press charges, Betty! He's the psycho who showed up and wanted to do God knows what to you. I can argue self-defense on that account. I am telling you, he has become seriously unhinged. He's been leaving me weird messages and trying to get me on the phone for weeks now,"_ I almost choked when I heard those words.

"What?! Kevin, why the hell would you not tell me he's been harassing you all this time?" I whisper screamed into the phone. _This would have been great information to have before he showed up in Riverdale,_ I thought, pinching the bridge of my nose in frustration.

"_Because B, I'm your lawyer and this is not the first divorce case I've had where the ex turned psycho and was harassing me or my clients. It comes with the territory. Why do you think I have a secretary and the best security that Centerville has to offer, huh?"_ Kevin chuckled while I breathed in and out, trying to calm my ruffled nerves.

"Yes, Kevin but your Centerville clients didn't grow up with you and know that you live in Riverdale. Archie probably still knows how to sneak in through the cellar doors your dad has yet to fix!" I could feel the panic rising higher and higher, the urge to curl my nails in was almost overwhelming.

"_First off B, Archie doesn't know I'm back at Dad's. Last he heard I was still staying with Jake. I never told him that we split up. And Jake moved to Seaside so I doubt that Arch could find that out. Secondly, do you really think Archie is stupid enough to break into THE SHERIFF'S house and try to hurt me? Come on Betty, Archie is stupid but not that stupid."_ Kevin laughed nonchalantly.

I chuckled as well, knowing that logically he was right. Archie didn't want to hurt Kevin, he was probably harassing him in order to figure out how to find me. _Get a grip, Cooper. It's ok. Kevin is a big boy._ I willed myself to believe that thought.

"Whatever the case may be Kev, I refuse to poke the bear, okay? Archie was long gone when I left The Pembrooke to come back to the Wyrm and Veronica had Andre deliver my stuff here so I wouldn't run the risk of seeing him again. And even if Archie saw where it was delivered, he is definitely not dumb enough to step foot in this bar," I groaned, still frustrated at this whole ordeal.

At that moment I felt an arm snake it's around my waist, signaling that my raised voice had indeed woken Jughead. He pulled me close and started to place small, tender kisses along my shoulder blades, humming and moaning with each kiss. He rolled me onto my back and began kissing neck and collarbone gently. When he started traveling down my body, I knew exactly what he was planning.

'**No Juggie!**' I mouthed, hoping to God that Kevin didn't hear Jug's chuckle in response to my pleas.

Jughead just gave me a devilish grin in return and continued to move lower and lower to the spot he was searching for. I moved the phone away from my mouth as I gasped, his tongue licking a stripe up my already wet shit.

I tried to keep my breaths even as Jughead's tongue dipped into me so that Kevin wouldn't suspect what was happening but I had a feeling that the effort would be futile. Jug was far too talented at making me fall apart in the loudest way possible for me to maintain self-control.

"_Just promise me you are going to be careful, Betty. I have seen what happens when people get divorced and I don't want you to be another statistic. Will that man of yours be able to guarantee your safety?"_ Kevin asked, not suspecting a thing. It took all of my willpower not to cry out as Jughead slipped his fingers inside my sex, using a beckoning motion to massage my g-spot.

"Y-yes Kev, Jughead will take ver-r-y good care of me," I stammered, trying to keep my tone as even as possible.

"Yeah, I will," Jughead chuckled, lifting his head to smirk at me. I glared at him but he just winked and dove back into my core with more enthusiasm, causing me to yelp in pleasure. I had to cover my face with my pillow to hide my loud cries from Kevin.

"Betty, are you okay?" Kevin asked, worry laced with his voice. I cleared my throat and tried to sound normal.

"Um, yeah, sorry. I just, uh- I just stubbed my toe on the table, I'm fine," I bit my lip and whimpered as I felt myself getting closer and closer to the edge, the heat in my core threatening to combust.

"Oh, ok. If I didn't know any better, I would have thought you were having sex while we talked. Well, anyway, I'm gonna go. But we're still on for drinks at the White Wyrm tonight, right?" Kevin asked excitedly.

"Yup, we are. See you tonight, Kev. Bye!" All of my words run together as I scrambled to hit the end button before my climax hit me. I had just enough time to throw the phone down on the bed and sink my hands into Jughead's hair before I was falling off the edge and screaming his name. As he worked me through my orgasm, I could feel myself turning fifty shades of red at what had just happened. He placed a light kiss on my thigh before crawling back up my body and hovering above me.

"Morning, Betts," He snickered, licking his lips. I could see the smug look on his face and it only served to make my face even redder.

"Really, Juggie? That's all you have to say for yourself?" I scolded him mockingly.

"Hey babe, I was hungry. I needed a pre-breakfast snack," he wiggled his eyebrows, making a vulgar motion with his tongue and two fingers before I smacked his arm and giggled.

"You are a dirty perv, you know that, Jones?" I said. He nodded playfully and leaned in to capture my lips, the taste of my arousal still prominent on his tongue. I deepened the kiss and flipped him onto his back, sinking down onto him in one swift moment.

"You like me dirty, don't you, Princess?" Jughead groaned, his hands cupping my breasts as I rode his length. I loved the control it allowed me to be on top but I also loved the way he looked at me when I took my pleasure from him this way.

"Yes, Juggie... Oh God, yes!" I cried out, rolling my hips in a figure-eight motion while he slid his thumb down to massage my clit. I came with a shout, leaving angry claw marks down his in my wake. Suddenly, he sat up, wrapping his arms around me and drilling mercilessly into my throbbing heat until he finally spilled himself inside me.

We both collapsed in a sweaty heap and once we both came down from our high, he pulled me into his side and started stroking my arm lightly.

"So Betts, what did Keller say anyway?" Jughead asked quietly, his concern evident.

"He thinks I should call Sheriff Keller and press charges against Archie. And before you say anything, I already told him that it's not a good idea. I know Archie and he would tell them I assaulted him and I don't feel like having to pay for bail right now," I could see from his body language that he wasn't fond of the idea of getting the cops involved either. This was a job best left to the Serpents.

"Betts, you know I'll protect you, right? Archie won't get anywhere near you or Jelly. I have my guys on patrol and I even called in some of the retired and dormant Serpents to help out. There isn't anywhere in Riverdale that I don't have eyes on. If he so much as breathes in this town, I will know it. Okay?" He said softly, cupping my cheek and stroking it in reassurance.

"I know that, Juggie. I know that nothing will happen to me. That's why I told Kev to drop it. I just want this divorce finalized and to be able to move on with my life. Our life. Together," I planted a small kiss on his lips and sighed. I've been so nervous about how he would react to the news that I want to be a Serpent but I knew I couldn't postpone it any longer. I took a deep breath to steady my nerves and just went for it.

"So, Jug. There was something I wanted to talk to you about," I said sheepishly, looking away from his eyes. He propped himself up on his elbow and used my chin to force me to look at him, fear manifesting in his eyes.

"Uh oh, Betts. That doesn't sound good," I could see the concern etched on his face as his brow furrowed, his eyes searching mine for any sign that this wasn't something catastrophic.

"Oh no Juggie, it's nothing about us. I don't even think it's that bad but it might be a shock," I said, caressing his cheek and smiling, "I just don't know how to ask you this without possibly upsetting you." He looked at me confused as ever but waited for me to continue. I sat up, bringing the sheet up to cover my naked breasts before I turned to face him.

"Jug, how do I become a Serpent?" I asked quickly, speaking softly. I watched as his confusion melted into relief before falling back into confusion again. He sat up and pulled me into his lap, hugging me tightly.

"Betts, do you want to be a Serpent?" He asked curiously. He doesn't seem angry or even against the idea, he was just confused.

"Well, yeah. I've been thinking about it a lot lately and I think I want to. I mean, I'm technically a legacy already and I think that deep down, what I thought was darkness, might have just been the Serpent in me trying to come out," I smiled, watching him think it over but sensing that something was holding him back.

"Juggie, I really believe this is the next step for me. I can't tell you how good it felt to punch Archie. Or when I stood up to Sweet Pea. I felt free, I felt like the real me like this is who I was meant to be," He eyed me carefully, searching to see if I had any doubts about this but finding none.

"Betts, you know that if you do this, there is no going back. Serpents- We are Serpents for life, babygirl. Whether you hide it or retire - in the end - we are all in this together until we die. Can you handle that?" He asked, his tone completely serious. I knew he was trying to protect me but I was not afraid of this. This was my destiny.

"Yes, Juggie I know. This is what I want. I want to be with you. I want to be a part of your world, of your family. I want to be the real Betty Cooper, the one I hide. Will you help me let her out? Please, Juggie?" I begged, sticking my bottom lip out in a pout.

I saw something spark in his eyes and he grabbed my face and kissed me deeply. I climbed back into his lap and deepened the kiss, feeling his arousal on my thigh. I smiled into the kiss and wrapped my arms around his neck before he pulled away.

"Betty, that's the sexiest thing I have ever heard. If this is really what you want, then I'll show you what you need to do to be a Serpent. But I'm telling you now, you ain't gonna like it, babe. It's not easy," I could tell he was torn between protecting me from his world and his desire for me to be with him in it.

"Jug, I can handle it," I said. "If I can survive the Jason Blossom murder investigation and catching the Sugarman, I don't think a gang initiation is so scary."

"Ok, Betts. There are three tests that every female Serpent recruit has to go through. Each task is more difficult than the previous challenge. You must have complete trust in us, to prove that you're willing to lay yourself bare without showing cowardice or fear and that you are willing to die for us. Are you prepared for that?" Jughead hesitated when he asked but I wasn't going to back down from this. I was sure this was what I wanted.

"Yes, Jug. I can handle it. I'm sure. This is what I want, no matter what. I'm not afraid. I trust you," I whispered lowly, a smile spreading across Jughead's face as he cocked his eyebrow at me.

"Alright, Cooper. Let's do this," he grinned.

"So, wait... You're telling me that I have to recite the Serpent Laws - from memory - while Jughead throws what at me?" I couldn't have heard them correctly. _There's no way_. I looked at Jughead who simply gestured to Toni for her to explain.

"Tomahawks. Four to be exact. It's a tradition that goes back to the Uktena tribe and shows us you have complete trust in our King. He throws one at each of the four-points of your body to represent a compass. While he does it you can't flinch or show any fear otherwise you fail. It's not an easy thing to do, Betty," Toni warned, pouring me a shot. I knew it would be hard but **damn**. This seemed a bit... _intense_.

"Okay, so what is the second and third test?" I asked, downing my shot but Toni shook her head.

"Sorry Coop, can't tell you until the first challenge is complete. We're all sworn to secrecy. We don't like to give prospects too much info in case they punk out. Not that you would, but you know," Toni shrugged her shoulders and walked down the bar to get Sweet Pea and Fangs more beers. Jughead had been rubbing my back lovingly through the whole discussion, trying to be supportive.

"See, Betts. It's not going to be easy and I'll understand if you don't want to do this. It won't change how I feel about you. Promise" He said assuredly. I spun around and glowered at him.

"No, fuck that! I can do this, Jug. Betty Cooper does not scare so easily and I sure as hell don't give up. When do you want to do this?" I asked, giving off as much confidence as my body would allow. Even though, deep down, I was freaking out at just the thought of this test.

"Depends on how fast you can memorize the laws," He smiled, the playful tilt in his voice challenging me. _Well, Jones, challenge accepted,_ I thought with a grin.

"Oh Juggie, didn't you know? I have a photographic memory. Give me twenty minutes and a shot of whiskey then let's do this," I simpered, giving him a little wink.

~**20 minutes later**~

"Elizabeth Cooper, you say you want to be a Serpent, is that correct?" Jughead's voice boomed through the bar, every Serpent in the crowd standing in complete silence.

This was a side of Jughead I would never get enough of seeing. I saw it in the diner when the Ghoulies threatened me and when Archie attacked me. I had seen it in our bedroom several times over. This was Dark Jughead. Dominant Jughead. And this Jughead, I trusted completely.

"Yes, that's correct," I stated clearly, showing no emotion and looking straight ahead. I kept my eyes locked with Jughead's the entire time, knowing that he would not let me get hurt.

"**WHAT IS THE FIRST LAW**?" Jughead shouted, his muscles tensing as he glared at me.

"No Serpent stands alone!" I replied, watching him walk to a table to pick up the first tomahawk. He walked back and stared me down.

"**WHAT IS THE SECOND LAW**?" He roared, getting into his throwing stance.

"If a Serpent is killed or imprisoned, their family will be taken care of!" I yelled.

_**WHACK! **_

The first one whizzed past my left ear but I didn't move a muscle or blink. I could see the pleased look in his eyes as he grabbed the next tomahawk.

"**WHAT IS THE THIRD LAW**?"

"A Serpent never shows cowardice!"

_**WHACK! **_

My breath caught just slightly as the next one slammed into the board beside my right ear. My heart was racing but I kept my expression stoic and I didn't dare flinch. He licked his lips and smiled, preparing for his next throw.

"**WHAT IS THE FOURTH LAW**?"

"No Serpent is left for dead!" I replied confidently, feeling the courage coursing through my veins and bubbling just under the surface.

As strange as it might have seemed to others, just watching Jughead pacing stage with his eyes locked on mine, his face stern and powerful does something to my insides. I knew I should be afraid but instead, I found this whole test surprisingly erotic. Just glimpsing the fire in his eyes at this moment, I knew Jughead felt it too.

_**WHACK!**_

The next tomahawk landed in between my thighs and I had to bite my lip to suppress a moan from the feelings it was giving me. I had to fight the urge to clench my thighs together when Jug winked at me and ran his tongue across his teeth.

"**WHAT IS THE FIFTH LAW**?"

"A Serpent never betrays his own!" I held my head high and shouted as loud as possible, never breaking his gaze.

_**WHACK!**_

The final tomahawk slammed into the backboard directly above my head. I knew the worst part was over but I refused to move, my chest heaving and my heart pounding. Jughead stalked toward me before he stopped directly in front of me, nose to nose. I could feel the electricity and desire coming off him in waves.

"**WHAT IS THE SIXTH LAW**?" He growled, his eyes devouring me.

"In unity there is strength," I stated firmly, looking him straight in the eye showing no fear or hesitation.

"IN UNITY THERE IS STRENGTH!" The crowd shouted. It's then that I finally saw the mask slipping and Jughead's lips curled into a mischievous grin.

"In unity there is strength," he whispered before slamming his mouth onto mine, his tongue wrestling with mine for dominance. From his urgency and guttural moans, I knew that this had turned him on as much as it did me. I slipped my hands under his shirt, completely forgetting that we had an audience behind us until someone shouted.

"Hey Jones, I don't think that is part of the test!" They yelled, the crowd erupting into laughter.

"Fuck off Dakota, no one asked you!" Jug shouted back before laughing and turning his attention back to me. He cupped my face and gazed into my eyes.

"God Betts, how is it that I've done this same thing dozens of times and this is the first time I got turned on by it?" He whispered in a husky voice, making me squirm just by thinking about it again. I grabbed his collar and pulled him closer.

"Probably because it got me just as hot and bothered. You wouldn't believe just how wet I am right now, Juggie," I winked and flicked my tongue across his lips. His eyes darken and he pressed into me, showing me just what the experience did for him. I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him again before pulling back to whisper in his ear. "We can finish this later in the apartment. Right now we have to get ready for our guests," I kissed his cheek and ran off stage to talk to Toni.

"Jesus Blondie, for a second there I thought you guys were going to give us all a show fuck Jug right on the stage," Sweet Pea said with a sour look, rolling his eyes.

"You can't afford that show, Sweets," I chuckled and nudged his arm. "Who's gonna get me a shot?" I yelled. I felt Jughead sneak up behind me and wrap his arms around my waist, whispering in my ear.

"That would be me, Cooper," he breathed as he peppered kisses on my neck. Sweet Pea started to make gagging sounds and without a glance his way, I flipped him the bird causing Jug to chuckle against my skin.

"Bite me, Sweet Pea. You're just jealous cause you ain't got no game," I teased. Sweet Pea mumbled something under his breath that caused Fangs and Joaquin to burst into laughter. I figured now was a good time to cut him some slack so I decided to change the subject.

"So 'Quin, are you sure you are cool with me setting you up with the son of the Sheriff?" I asked, chewing my bottom lip nervously. I really wanted to help Kevin find a decent guy and Joaquin fits his type to the letter.

"Hey, you know me, Blondie. I have always been a rebel," he winked. "Besides, if he is half as cute as you say and he's a lawyer, well then I may have just found my own personal snake charmer," He laughed, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

"Ok, ew. Never say that **ever** again. Kevin is like a brother to me and what he does with your snake is none of my business," I shook my head and grimaced. I was praying no one saw how red my face was. As we continue to laugh and joke, we see the subject of our discussion coming inside.

"Betty!" Kevin shouted excitedly. I ran up to him and jumped into his arms as he hugged me, spinning me around a few times. I know it's only been about three months since the last time I actually saw him but I still missed him like crazy. He dropped me to the floor and held me at arm's length by the shoulders.

"Damn Keller, it's been too long. I missed you so much," I wrapped him into another hug. "I would have thought being my divorce lawyer you have me seeing you a lot more."

"You know how it goes, Betts. Lawyers' work is never done. Now, where is this hot, sexy bad boy biker you're setting me up with, hmm?" Kevin asked, smiling down at me. I grabbed his hand and lead him over towards the group. "Holy Hotness Batman, is that him?" He whispered, staring directly at Joaquin.

"Kevin Keller, this is Joaquin DeSantos. Joaquin, this is my chosen and favorite brother, Kevin," I could already see the gleam in both their eyes as they stared at each other and shook hands. I secretly screamed and jumped for joy in my head while keeping a fixed smile on my face.

The boys walked off from the group to get to know each other better and the rest of us chatted and drank, having a typical Whyte Wyrm Friday night. Veronica and Reggie joined us about an hour later so we decided to shoot some pool and just blow off steam from the week.

I was so lost in my own little world, wrapped in Jughead's arms while he whispered funny commentary on the game going on in front of us that I didn't even hear Jug's phone ringing. He whispered that he would be right back and kissed my ear before he disappeared into his office.

Part of me wondered if this was some secret Serpent business but I shook that thought from my mind and started taunting Sweet Pea and Fangs, trying to get them to miss their shots. It's about 15 minutes later when I saw Jug stumbling from his office with a completely shocked look on his face, a faint smile threatening to bloom.

"Juggie?" I said, walking slowly towards him. He grabbed my hands and I could see that he was about to cry. However, the smile on his face showed me that they were happy tears.

"Listen up everyone, I have an announcement!" He yelled causing a hushed silence to fall on the bar. His eyes never lost their sparkle as he spoke.

"I just got off the phone with my dad. Seems that Shankshaw has been dealing with overcrowding and due to that, coupled with good behavior, my dad will be getting out early! As of next Friday, FP Jones will be a free man again!" He was beaming when he finished speaking.

The entire bar erupted into cheers and calls of 'Hail to the King' and Jughead wrapped his arms around me and buried his face into my hair.

"He's coming home, Betts. He is finally coming home," Jughead was clinging to me and I could feel the wet tears soaking my hair but I couldn't bring myself to care about that. I was just so happy for him. This man that I love was getting his father back after all this time. He pulled away and I wiped the tears from his cheeks with my sleeve.

"Juggie, we've got to tell Jellybean and Mom, they are both going to be so happy!" I beamed. I was excited to tell them but I knew exactly how I wanted to end the night. "What do you say we go upstairs and make those calls then we can celebrate the news in our own way?" I asked seductively.

"Why Cooper, I thought you'd never ask," I giggled then squealed as he grabbed me, throwing me over his shoulder before shouting goodnight to everyone before carrying me upstairs.

The next morning I woke up feeling completely happy and safe wrapped in Jughead's arms. My arms were around his torso, our legs tangled in one another's, and completely at peace. I lifted my head from his chest and traced the crown over his heart. I loved looking at all of his tattoos, knowing that each one had a personal story and meaning behind it.

I still couldn't believe that this breathtaking man loved me, wanted me and only me. No other woman mattered to him. It made my heart swell with so much love that it might actually burst. I placed a soft kiss to his crown when I felt his chest trembling and a gruff laugh escaped his lips.

"It's very rude to stare, Betts," I smiled and kissed his chest again.

"Yeah, but it's my right to stare. You're all mine, Jones, so by default, I get to stare as much as I want," I smirked and bit his peck gently.

"Oh is that so, Cooper. Well, who am I to deny you a decent view," Jughead said, his voice gravelly from sleep and leaned down to capture my lips. "So Betts, what's on the agenda for today?" He said as he ran his hand through my hair.

"Well since I passed my test last night, I was wondering if you could tell me what the other two tests are? Toni said I had to survive the first test beforehand and then you could tell me," I laid my chin on his chest and stared at him, waiting for an answer.

"Well, Betts. Toni's right, I can tell you now but the question is: are you ready to hear them?" He asked, brushing my hair off my shoulders and rubbing the skin with his thumb.

"Yes Juggie, I think if I can handle you throwing deadly weapons at me, I can handle anything," I laughed.

"Ok then, the second test is The Box," He said plainly like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"The Box? What's that?" I asked curiously.

"Well, we take a glass coffin and lay you down in it. Then we dump 100 snakes on top of you and close the lid - but don't worry - there will be air holes in the lid. Then we make you lay inside for five minutes. You can't flinch or scream or anything. If you survive that then you only need to pass one more test to be a full member of the Serpents," he paused, unsure if he should continue.

"Ok? Don't keep me in suspense too long, Juggie." I teased. Jug sighed and looked away before continuing.

"Once you come out of the box, you have to immediately do the Serpent Dance. It symbolizes your survival from being encapsulated with the serpent on one side and then being transformed into one on the other side," he explained quietly.

"So... I have to dance? That's it?" I asked. _What's the catch, that seems too simple,_ I thought.

"Um, yeah... You have to do a striptease for the entire gang. You have to lay yourself bare for us to see and show no fear in the process," Jughead's voice faltered and he looked away, obviously torn up about that aspect of the trials. I turned his head to face me again.

"Do I have to be completely naked?" I asked, knowing that this would be hard for Jughead if I have to be naked.

"Well, not entirely. Just down to your panties. So topless," he shrugged before scratching the back of his neck.

"Ok, um- can I wear pasties? You know, to cover my nipples?" His head lifted and I saw him come to a realization about something.

"Yeah, actually you can! We tried to get this dance banned years ago but weren't able to. However, we managed to get part of the old rules changed. The rules now state that if any girlfriend or wife of an existing Serpent wants to join they have the right to cover certain parts of their body that are only for their significant other to see," his face lit up when he remembered that rule before relief visibly flooded his whole body.

"Alright, when do we do this?" I smiled at him, excited knowing that this was going to bring me closer to Jughead.

"Well, I would really like my Dad to be able to see me give you your skin and I also want to have a celebration for his release so I was thinking next Saturday? What do you say, Betts?" He was grinning from ear to ear now. I couldn't help but smile at him in return.

"I think that is perfect Juggie. I can't wait."

"Wait, wait, wait. You're going to do what now?" Veronica choked. She, Reggie, and Kevin were all sitting in complete shock while the rest of the group - Jellybean, Sweet Pea, Fangs, Toni, Cheryl, and Joaquin - were all smiling and waiting to see the reaction of the Northsiders.

"Next Saturday I'm going to become a Serpent. We are having a welcome home party for FP and at the party, I'm going to complete the last two tests and then I will officially become a member," I stated, never once hesitating. Veronica shook her head in disbelief.

"But B, why? I mean, no offense guys, I like you and all but Betty this is still a **gang**. Is that really what you want?" Veronica grabbed my hands and squeezed.

"Yeah V, it really is. It's not like the Northside thinks it is. The Serpents don't deal drugs or run guns. Jug has kept the gang clean and they are actually one of the things that keeps this community going. And I want to be apart of that. I need you to back me on this, V. Please?" I pleaded. As soon as I saw Veronica's eyes soften, I knew she was on board.

"I got your back, girl. B&V forever, remember? And I guess if you can handle the fact that my family is basically the Latino Corleone's then I can handle the Sons of Anarchy in your closet," Veronica joked and pulled me into a hug. I was so relieved that she was ok with this. Now to see what Kevin had to say.

"Kev? What do you think?" I looked at him wide-eyed, biting my lip in anticipation. Kevin just shrugged.

"Hell B, if I can handle 'Dark Betty' I am pretty sure I can handle 'Biker Betty'. Probably be close to the same thing anyway," He winked. Everyone's head spun to face me except Veronica, who was too busy shooting daggers at Kevin.

"**KEVIN**!" Veronica and I hissed in unison.

"Dark Betty?" The rest of the group asked at the same time.

"No, no, no... I've said too much. Sorry girls, my vow of silence slipped my mind for a sec," Kevin said apologetically before he mimed zipping his mouth closed and locking it, my face turning deeper shades of red by the minute.

"Who or what is Dark Betty?" Jughead whispered in my ear, his breath ghosting on my skin.

"Play your cards right, Jones, and you just might find out one day," I winked and kissed his cheek. Jughead cleared his throat and got back to the topic at hand.

"Okay so anyway, next Saturday I want to throw a big party for my Dad. It's a big deal for him and I'm excited that he's coming home so I want all of mine and Betty's friends to be here to celebrate with us. So, are we all in?" His voice was hopeful as he looked around the table at everyone.

"Well, we're in, Jones. But be warned, I'm going to drink your skinny ass under the table," Reggie bumped Jug's shoulder and laughed.

"We will see about that, Mantle," Jug chuckled.


	13. Chapter 12: Ghost

_**~Wednesday~**_

"Mom, you're sure about this right?" I watched nervously as my Mom piled all my dad's stuff into boxes to either donate, sell, or burn - the majority ending up in this box. "I mean, I'm angry with him too but doesn't dad want any of this stuff?"

"Elizabeth, your father made it very clear that he doesn't want or need anything from this family anymore. He said that half-melted whore is providing all he needs so he said just to get rid of it. Besides, you know that FP is coming home in a few days and I will not have any trace of Hal Cooper in this house when he gets here," Alice stated matter of factly.

She had been so much more open with me since the discovery that she and FP Jones were star-crossed lovers, finally getting their happy ending. It had taken some getting used to, knowing that the man my mother loves is the father of the man I love, but it almost seemed like the universe knew what it was doing. No matter how strange the entire situation was.

"Mom, I'm just a bit surprised at how well you are taking all the changes honestly. I mean, I know you and FP rekindled whatever romance you had going on before but are you really ready for this? Living with someone who isn't dad?" I didn't want her to think I wasn't happy for her, but I just didn't want her or FP getting hurt if this thing hits the fan.

"Look, Betty, I appreciate your concerns. I really do, but I have spent far too long hiding my feelings for FP or running away from them. I got a second chance, _we_ got a second chance. Me and FP both. I don't want to waste another second without him. I need him. I cared about your father, I really did, but FP's the only man I have ever really truly loved," I could see tears in Mom's eyes and couldn't rain on her parade with my silly fears. They are both adults and I can see the way they look at each other. _Who am I to take that away from them? _Besides, I literally just jumped into living with a man I have only been dating a few months, who am I to judge her life choices?

"Ok Mom, you're right. I'm sorry. Here, let me help. We can sort this stuff together and then we need to talk about the party, okay?" I said nervously. I was more afraid of how Alice was going to react to my news about joining than I was about actually having to do the Serpent Dance itself. I knew my Mom had been through this initiation and also how much she has hated the Serpents in the past. It may have seemed strange but I really wanted her blessing on this. I started to clench my fists but stopped myself from piercing my skin.

I moved to start sorting things into different boxes but I stopped when I see that Alice was staring at me suspiciously. She could obviously tell how anxious I was right now and her face grew worried as she stepped beside me, grasping my hand.

"Elizabeth, what is it? Did something happen? Is there an issue with having the party that day?" She asked, truly concerned that things would not go well. Alice wanted FP's welcome home to be a smooth transition and she wasn't going to let anything throw a wrench in her plans.

I could remember all the times I got this look from my mother. She had the same look when I was 4 and scraped my knee on the back deck. Or when I burned myself on my birthday candles at age 5. But after what I knew now about her split from her one true love, she was never the same after. Always trying to toughen us up, never wanting us to show fear or weakness. Of all the things I had missed, I missed the concerned Alice Cooper most. _I think..._

"Um, no Mom. Well, there is something happening that day that I really don't know how you will handle. And our relationship has been so good lately and I just don't want-," She cut me off with a sharp laugh. I tilted my head in confusion, waiting for my mother to calm down from her laughing fit.

"Is this about your initiation into the Serpents, Elizabeth?" Mom said it so plainly that I completely lost the ability to speak for a second. _How... _

"And before you ask how I knew, ask yourself something. Did you really think FP wouldn't tell your **mother** what you were planning? I mean, be serious, honey. You couldn't have kept this from me even if FP and I weren't back together," She said, arching her eyebrow at me.

"Oh. Well, I guess I didn't think of that. But are you angry?" I asked, holding my breath and waiting for the wrath of Alice Cooper.

"Elizabeth, why on earth would I be angry? You seem to forget that your mother is a Serpent as well. And I too know how persuasive the Jones men can be," she teased, making my stomach churn at the mental images this invoked.

"Again Mom, I don't need to think about **you** and **my boyfriend's dad** doing...things," I grimaced at the thought. I mean, if FP is anything like Jug... _Ew, Betty, STOP!_ I thought as I shook the images from my mind.

"Come on Elizabeth, don't be a prude. If FP's skills are anything to go on, I'm sure Jughead is keeping you very well satisfied?" She said with a wink. _Oh, Dear Lord... I can't believe my mother and I had the same exact thought. Maybe history really is repeating itself._ I am so embarrassed by the conversation that I nearly dropped the stack of books I'm holding and I felt my face burn.

"Jesus Mom, can we _**not**_ talk about my sex life, please?" I said seriously, trying to get her to change the subject. She only laughed harder and patted my hand.

"My word Elizabeth, you are so transparent. At least I can tell from the shade of your face that my assessment is correct," she teased before turning back to separate more of dad's thing.

_At least the awkwardness is over, for now..._

_**~Thursday~**_

"So let me get this straight, your mom was trying to get you talking about your sex life... with your boyfriend... who happens to be her boyfriend's son?" Toni laughed, holding her ribs. "Damn Coop, that has to be the funniest shit I've heard all day!"

I huffed, throwing my empty water bottle in her direction purposely missing her head. "It's not funny T, I was mortified! She kept wanting to trade off pointers and compare stories! I almost died! I don't know how my prim and proper mother turned out to be a _freak_ in the bedroom." I shuddered, remembering her trying to explain this thing FP used to do with his tongue. My face heated again just thinking about it but I hoped that it wasn't too noticeable since I was already flushed from the workout.

Toni and I had been spending hours upon hours this week practicing for my initiation on Saturday. And as much as I hated the word, I couldn't help but want it to be perfect. I wanted Jug to see just how much I wanted this and that I wasn't afraid.

Toni has had previous experience in pole dancing and choreography so naturally, she volunteered to be my coach. Although, I think secretly she was just excited to be able to be to show off her skills and add a new female into the Serpent fold. We were definitely the minority in this gang, but we were hoping to change that once I am a full member.

Since each girl had to do a different dance, something uniquely tailored to fit with their personality, Toni had planned out a seductive and edgy routine for me to do that was sure to know anyone's socks off. She wanted it to be extra special and sexy since I'm Jug's girl. I still had a lot of nerves about the nudity part but the years of cheerleading and track had made pole dancing surprisingly easy for me. It had actually been kind of fun, honestly.

"Seriously B, it is kinda funny, don't you think?" Toni chuckled at my attempt at a scowl. "Ok, ok, let's change the subject and stop talking about FP boning your mom. Are you good with the song choice?" Toni asked with a wicked grin.

I laughed, knowing full well that she knew I was more than okay with the music. "Yeah T, I am. I think it fits and I've already learned the routine to this song so I think I'll be just fine. Besides, I have always found that song to be sexy and that's what we are going for, right?"

"Well, I think we've had enough practice for the day. How about we go get cleaned up and discuss your ideas for your lingerie before we start our shift at the Wyrm?" Toni asked, turning to pack away the cd player into the storage closet.

"Wait! Let's just run through it one more time and then we can call it?" I asked sweetly, getting into my starting position. Toni rolled her eyes, sighing while hooking the player back up to the speakers.

"You got it, Coop. God, you are such a perfectionist," Toni said as she pressed play on the cd player.

_Girl, you have no idea,_ I smiled to myself and begin my routine.

Usually, on Thursday nights, the Wyrm is dead save for the few regulars who never seemed to leave. But with tonight's half price drink special the place was flooded with rowdy frat boys. We had been getting a steady influx of local college kids from Greendale coming in more frequently recently and some of them could get, well, _aggressive_.

Don't get me wrong, I've done my fair share of waitressing over the years so I know all too well about guys getting handsy or not taking a hint when we aren't interested in their games. But there seemed to be an especially higher risk of waitressing in a bar setting. Especially when one factored in the often skimpy uniforms - for example, the tiny jean shorts and heels mixed with the tight babydoll tee's at the Wyrm - that caused guys like that to go primal.

Jughead had been pretty good about showing everyone around the bar that we are an item and also keeping me from being in any situation that could trigger my anxiety about the Ghoulie attack a few months ago. Unfortunately, some nights he and the boys had Serpent business to take care of so Toni and I were left to fend for ourselves while they did their thing.

And tonight - sadly - was one of those nights. It had just been me and Toni working while the guys were in the back handling "work issues". I learned quickly that - even though the Serpents were legit - it was better not to ask about what actually went on behind those closed doors. I knew they couldn't tell me anything anyway and Toni knew better than to talk business around me, at least for now. I'd been learning so much from them all already that the secretive business talk didn't even matter to me.

Being with the Serpents had helped me grow more confident in handling myself, that coupled with Jug's obsessive need to teach me self defense had helped immensely too. Even if most of our sparring sessions end in crazy hot sex. Every day I could feel myself getting stronger and finding other ways to handle the darkness a little bit better.

Tonight, the bar had been almost packed for at least the last hour and some of the guys were starting to give me a little _too _much attention for my liking. I'd already been pinched, propositioned, and groped one too many times but instead of my anxiety taking over, I was just getting pissed off. I walked to the bar where Toni was and slammed my tray down to pick up my next drink order.

"I swear to God T, the next asshole who tries to grope me is getting a stiletto to the balls," I scoffed and blew the stray hairs from my eyes. She gave me a sympathetic look and smiled knowingly. She had seen how these animals had been treating me all night but she knew that I wouldn't want the boys to be disturbed when I knew I could handle it myself.

"Sorry, girlie. I've been there, _trust me_. Hell, I still get that shit and I only work behind the bar. The guys will wrap things up soon and then everything will calm down," she said, patting my hand to try and soothe me before looking over my shoulder.

"Shit, I think table 19 is trying to get your attention, Coop." She said as I groaned. These pricks had been hitting on me all night long and if it didn't stop soon, I'm not entirely sure I could be held responsible for what might happen next. I took a deep, soothing breath and tried **hard** to suppress the urge to smack these dickheads.

"Ugh, just shoot me. In the face, _please_," I sighed before putting on a happy face and heading over. The four boys at the table - and I say boys because real men don't act like these fuckers - were all cut from the same mold: college age, preppy, entitled, rich douchebags who thought they were God's gift. All of them were like clones of Archie and I hated it. _How in God's name did I marry someone like this?_ I pondered for a brief second as I approached the table.

"Hello boys, is there anything else I can get for you tonight?" I asked sweetly, flashing my best fake smile, my ponytail swinging as I glanced between each of them. They all exchanged a sinful look and laughed. Then, when the laughter had subsided, the tall blonde at the table spoke.

"Uh yeah, sweet-tits. I'll take a lap dance and your number," he winked, staring at the curve of my ass lecherously. "Although baby, if that lap dance comes with a happy ending, I won't be needing the number," He licked his lips and continued to look me up and down while all his friends laughed again. I rolled my eyes at his statement before I spoke.

"Yeah, not gonna happen. Even if I didn't have a boyfriend, I wouldn't touch you with someone else's vagina. Now, I suggest you boys settle up your tab and get the hell outta this bar before things get ugly," I stated coldly. I was too damn tired and simply not in the mood for this kind of crap anymore tonight. I started to walk away but I felt a hand grab ahold of my wrist.

_Here we go..._ I sighed, the anger stirring in my belly.

"No, no, no, that's not how this works, babe. I guess you must not know **who I am** because if you did, you'd know I will get what I want. I **always **get what I want sweetheart, even if it's from cheap Southside sluts like you," he purred as his hand moved to my ass, squeezing. I could feel my blood boiling over with rage and then it happened.

I grabbed the guy by his shirt and slung him to the floor face down, pinning him down with my high heel. Gripping his collar with one hand and his hair in the other, I pulled his head back while I dug my heel into the small of his back. I leaned over to speak into his ear, close enough for him to hear over the noise of the bar.

"Listen here you misogynistic troglodyte, I don't give a shit who you are or where you come from. You step into **our** bar and you **will** treat all women, not just staff, with respect. You got that, motherfucker?" I pushed my heel into his back a little harder causing him to whimper. My skin was on fire as I continued to keep him pinned to the floor, tugging his hair roughly.

"Now, this is your one and only warning. You ever touch me or any other woman in my presence without her express permission again, the next thing my heel pierces is your fucking testicles, you got that?" I spat. I was beyond done with assholes like this guy and I wanted everyone to know I meant business when it came to protecting the women in this bar.

At this point, I noticed that the entire bar had gone completely silent and his friends were in their seats, frozen in fear. I glanced to my left to see all of the Serpents have emerged from their meeting and were staring in our direction. I didn't let it phase me as I waited for his reply, pulling on his hair roughly.

"Uh-uh ok lady, yes," He whined, tears beginning to stream down his cheeks.

I pulled his hair harder and twisted my heel, digging it in further, "Yes, what?"

"Um, yes ma'am, it won't happen again, ma'am. I swear. I'll pay our tab and go. Do you... ow, um... take American Excess?" He simpered and I released him, stepping aside for him to stand up. I kept my face deadly and watched him make sure he wasn't going to try something else.

"Why yes, we do. And I'll assume that you will be giving a 25% tip for my troubles?" I crossed my arms and tapped my index finger, raising one eyebrow to indicate my impatience.

"Oh, yes ma'am, um I think 30% is probably better- uh yeah, it's more than fair. Here's my card, charge all of my friend's drinks to it also and we'll be on our way," he handed me his card, trembling as I snatched it from his hand. He could see the scowls on the faces of all the Serpents behind me and he realized just how dangerous of a situation this really was.

"Okie dokie, sir. I'll be right back with your receipt," I said in a sickeningly sweet voice and skipped towards the bar, acting as if I hadn't just threatened to impale the man's balls just 30 seconds before.

I headed to the register to retrieve his tab and ring him out when I heard snickering behind me. I turned to see Toni, Jughead, Sweet Pea, and Fangs all trying not to laugh. I shook my head and swiped the card, waiting for the transaction to process.

"What?" I asked finally, my confusion evident as the receipt began to print.

"Please God B, tell me we just witnessed 'Dark Betty' in all her dominant glory?" Toni giggled, passing a beer to Sweet Pea and Fangs. Jug smiled at me seductively but I could also tell by the look in his eyes that he was also proud that I handled myself when he wasn't able to. It made me smile to myself too.

"Remind me to murder Kevin for letting that slip. Yes, guys, I suppose you all did get a glimpse of my other half," I rolled my eyes and continued to gather everything I needed to take back to the table. Sweet Pea laughed even harder and nudged Jughead with his elbow.

"Damn Jones, you're one lucky son of a bitch. She's feisty, I like it. Hey Coop, if things don't work out with you and Jonesy here, I could use a good Domme," Sweet Pea teased as Jughead smacked the back of his head. I turned to look back at him with my eyebrows arched.

"Sweets, unless you really do want me to break your damn jaw, shut the hell up. Besides darling, you _definitely_ couldn't handle me," I quipped with a wink before turning around to take my table their card and receipt. Sweet Pea's jaw dropped and Jughead burst out laughing with the others following soon thereafter.

Once the crowd had left, Jughead grabbed my hand and pulled me into his office, locking the door behind us. As soon as we were alone he gathered me into his arms and sighed in relief. He pulled back to look me in the eyes.

"Are you good, Princess? They didn't hurt you did they?" His voice was laced with genuine concern and fear. My heart ached at the brokenness in his eyes from the thought that he wasn't there to protect me, again. As I placed my hand to his cheek, he leaned into my touch and closed his eyes, breathing in my scent.

"I'm ok, Juggie. I promise. Truthfully, those jerks were just the last straw tonight so I had to teach them a lesson. I'm just sorry everyone had to see that side of me," I said embarrassed before I looked into his eyes and saw him smile.

"No babe, I'm **glad **everyone saw that. They'll know not to mess with my girl," he said as he twirled the end of my ponytail, a dark look in his eyes. "Besides Princess, it was kinda hot," he whispered, leaning down to press a tender kiss to my lips. His left-hand cradled the back of my neck while the right dug painfully into my hip, just the way I like it. He walked me backward towards his desk, deepening the kiss as we went.

Once my back slammed into the desk, he lifted me up by my thighs and sat me down on the edge. My hands ran under his jacket, slipping it off before heading for the hem of my tee and pulling it over my head while he discarded his flannel as well leaving him in his white tank top. I could feel all the ridges of his chest and stomach, making my insides burn from the desire pooling between my thighs.

He kissed the swell of my breasts, nipping at my collar bone and leaving marks as I ran my hands down his chest and under his shirt, tracing the hairs that lead to his waistband before slipping my hand inside his boxers, gripping him firmly. I moaned deeply as I began to work him slowly, causing Jughead to gasp and bite down hard onto my neck. His tongue soothed the mark and then traced all the way from my collarbone up to my earlobe before taking it between his teeth, tugging gently.

"Mmmm Princess, someone is eager," he rasped, " But if you keep that up baby, this will be over before it even starts," he breathed against my ear as I worked him faster. I wanted to make him come, to have him fall apart just from my hands. I felt him shuddering against my chest before he grabbed my hand to still me.

"You know the rules, Princess. Ladies first, remember?" Jughead said gruffly as he pulled my hand from his jeans and placed it back onto the desk, holding it there. He leaned in to capture my mouth in a wet kiss once again and moved to slowly unbutton my shorts.

I lifted myself off the desk enough for him to be able to slip my shorts and panties down my legs before he stepped back, raking his eyes over my mostly naked figure before dropping to his knees to kiss my inner thighs. I sunk my fingers into his hair, begging him to kiss me where I wanted, where I **needed**, when there was a sharp knock on the door.

Groaning at the intrusion, Jughead bit my thigh gently and sunk his fingers into my warm center before calling out to whoever was on the other side of the door, "This better be fucking good!" He shouted before running his tongue along the place that I have been craving his touch most, his fingers working their magic in tandem. I tried my best to stifle my moans, however unsuccessfully, as he continued to suckle my clit into his mouth and massaged my g-spot.

"Sorry Boss, you know I wouldn't bother you unless it was important," Toni shouted through the door. Jughead released my button and dropped his head against my leg with a sigh.

"Fine dammit, give me 20 minutes!" He shouted before looking up at me. "Sorry Princess, we're gonna have to skip the foreplay and make this a quickie," Jughead smiled before stripping his jeans and plunged inside, driving into me and pushing me over the edge twice before the 20 minutes was even up.

"Jesus Christ Jones, you know I eat my lunches at that desk right?" Toni yelled as we emerged, throwing a dishtowel in our direction with a disgusted look on her face. I instantly turned bright red and avoided eye contact with everyone but Jughead just laughed and tossed the towel back at her."Yeah, well I like to eat stuff at that desk too so deal with it, Topaz. I can't help it if I was hungry and needed a snack," He fired back with a wink, sucking his finger into his mouth and causing my blush to increase. I smacked his arms as he laughed and he kissed me, deepening it after a few seconds.

"Dude, TMI!"-"Gross" Sweet Pea and Fangs both shouted at the same time.

"Seriously, we get that you guys are like freaking jackrabbits but keep that shit to yourselves. And **off** communal eating surfaces, thanks," Toni said rolling her eyes while pouring a round of shots for everyone. "Thank God there wasn't a fire or you two would have been dead."

"Yeah, but what a way to go," Jughead smirked and wiggles his eyebrows at me. "So what was the big emergency anyways?" He asked Toni curiously.

Toni's eye flickered to mine before going back to Jughead's. "Uh, Serpent business, Boss," she said in a serious tone.

This phrase was one I'd come to know very well over the last few months as code for 'shit that wasn't my business'. He gave me an apologetic look and frowned. I knew that he didn't like keeping these things from me but I understood why it was necessary. The rules were there for a reason and Prospects, whether they were dating a Serpent or not, were not allowed to know insider info. It was safer for everyone that way.

He leaned in to wrap his hands around the sides of my neck, fingers ghosting along as he whispered into my ear, "I'm sorry, baby. I won't be very long, promise. You know I love you, right? It's not personal," he asked, kissing my temple. My hands moved to rest over his as we stood there with our foreheads touching.

"Juggie, it's ok. I know the rules and I understand, I promise and... I love you more," I teased and gave him a soft kiss, nuzzling my nose against his. I felt him breathe out a sigh of relief before he kissed me again.

"I swear to God Jones, don't make me hose you two down. I'm fairly certain you can pry yourself away from each other for five minutes so we can handle our business, dude," Sweet Pea grumbled. I narrowed my eyes at him before I started to look around the room - like I heard a ghost whispering to me.

"Hey, do you guys hear that? Sounds like a whining little bitch... Toni, please find this one a girl so he can get laid already," I shot back at Sweet Pea playfully.

"Cooper, are you trying to be my wing-woman? I didn't know you cared," Sweet Pea said as he clasped his hands together, a sarcastically awed expression on his face.

"Sweets honey, it's not even like that. I just figured the only way to get you to shut the hell up was to find you something else to occupy that mouth of yours. Then maybe we can all get some fucking peace and quiet," I laughed watching Sweet Pea choke on his beer.

"Blondie, every one of us has heard you and Jones going at it at all times of day and night. Quiet ain't in your vocabulary," Sweet Pea retorted, causing my face to burn crimson again. Jughead chuckled and kissed my temple once again and took pity on me.

"Alright, guys, enough talking about me and my girl's sex life. Let's get this meeting over with before it gets too rowdy in here and Betts has to stab someone." Jughead shoots me a wink and a lopsided grin before heading to the conference room in the back. Toni stepped from behind the bar to follow them, telling me that Dakota will help with drinks and play bouncer until they are done.

"It's cool Tone, we got this," I smiled and got back to running drink orders. I couldn't believe that in just two days I would actually be able to be apart of these meetings. _Well, that is if I can survive The Box first._

_**~Friday~**_

Jughead's knee was bouncing 90 miles a minute as we sat in the back of my mother's station wagon, pulling into the parking lot of the prison where his father had spent the better part of the last decade. I couldn't tell if his fidgeting was because he is excited or a bit nervous, praying something didn't go wrong or that this wasn't some sort of mistake and his father would have to remain in this horrible place. I gripped his hand tighter and gave him a reassuring smile.

It was a warm and beautiful Friday morning and mom and I had taken the day off so that we could be there for Jughead and FP. Jughead may have been a grown man but this would be the first time he would be able to embrace as his father as a free man since he was a child. And as tough as I knew Jughead was, I also knew that he was still that same little boy inside when it came to FP. He didn't get a choice when his mother took him away and all he ever wanted was to come home to be with his father and make up for lost time, but that wasn't in the cards for the Jones'.

Ever since Jughead's return to Riverdale, his father had been in some sort of cell. Whether it was the local Riverdale lock up or the cold dead depths of Shankshaw, he was never able to have that one thing he always wanted. This would be Jughead's first time seeing his dad outside of these constraints since he left for Toledo and I knew just how much this moment meant to him. And while I knew that my mother was understandably just as excited, I knew that this was a landmark day for the Jones men. Father and Son: reunited at last.

Mom pulled up to the gates where they would be releasing FP, parking the car at the end of the small driveway. As we all stepped out to meet him, my mother spoke, "Ok now guys, I know we are all excited to be here to welcome FP home, but let's make our reunion here as short as possible. I want to get your dad as far away from this place as possible. He has spent quite enough time here-," before Alice could even finish her sentence, we watched the doors slowly open and Jughead's breath caught in his throat. He and his father were both grinning, tears shone in their eyes, and as soon as the rickety gate opened they run into an embrace.

My mother and I were both crying as we watched the men we love being reunited with one another. After a few minutes, FP clapped Jug on the back, a sure sign that he was ready to be released before he ran over to my Mom. FP picked her up, swinging her around like a doll and then drawing her into a _very _heated embrace. Jughead and I looked away but we could still faintly hear sweet whispers of love and affection coming from our parents before Jughead finally cleared his throat.

"Hey Alice, didn't you say something about wanting to get out of here quickly?" He asked almost shyly. Alice and FP broke apart and smiled widely at us. As we climbed back into my Mom's car, Jughead leaned in to kiss me softly.

He pulled away, caressing my cheek with his thumb and the adoration clear in his eyes. "Thank you for being here with me, Princess. I can't even begin to explain what this means to me. I love you so damn much it hurts," he whispered sincerely as his thumb brushed my skin gently.

"I love you too, Juggie. Forever," I whispered back and kissed him on the cheek as we headed towards FP's new home with my mom.

"Alice, really, you don't have to fuss so much over me. I'm just happy to be living somewhere where the only other person I have to shower with is you," FP said as he slapped Alice on the backside. Jughead gave off an audible groan and looked at his lap, trying to hide his face from our parents' PDA.

"Is this what we are like?" Jughead asked me quietly as mom and FP made their way into the kitchen to start cleaning the dinner dishes, mom standing at the sink while FP stood behind her holding her close.

"Honestly babe, I think we're worse," I laughed, glancing over to see my mom turning to get on her tiptoes and wrapping her arms around FP's neck. "I think this might be our cue to leave and give Romeo and Juliet some privacy," I whispered. Jughead looked up, instantly regretting it but clearing his throat to get their attention anyway.

"Uh Dad, Alice, it's getting kind of late so I think Betts and I are going to just head home. I know you guys have a lot of catching up to do and we have to get the bar ready for tomorrow, so we'll just see you there. Sound good?" Jughead said quickly, standing to help me from my chair to give our parents a proper goodbye.

"I hate the Jelly couldn't make it out today but she promised she'll be there tomorrow. She had to pull a double at Pop's to make up for getting tomorrow off so she probably just now got home from work. But she said she's really excited to see you, Dad," Jughead said as he hugged FP tightly.

"I understand Jug, and I know it's gonna take JB some time to adjust to her old man actually being around. But I hope I can mend those bridges the right way, with both of you kids. I love you, boy," FP's voice cracked as he patted Jughead on the back.

"I love you too, Dad," Jughead choked out as he gave one last squeeze before FP brought me in for a hug as well.

"Take care of my boy for me, kid. I can tell how happy you make him," I couldn't help but get teary-eyed at his sentiment and squeezed him tightly. I gave my mother a quick hug before we headed home to get everything ready for the initiation tomorrow. My nerves were buzzing with excitement, knowing how close we were to me being a full member of the Serpents. The sensation was equally addictive and overwhelming.

As we walked into our apartment, we found Jellybean sprawled out on the sofa with giant can headphones on while she sketched something on her notepad. She was bobbing her head to the music and I knew whatever she was drawing, it had her in an artistic trance. I felt Jughead's hands grasp onto my hips firmly before he pulled me flush against him while his lips pressed feather-light kisses to my neck, guiding me towards the hallway.

"Let's leave her to her art, Princess. I want to get you into a nice warm bath then spend the rest of the night worshipping every inch of your body," I could feel my core quivering as his breath fanned across the side of my face. I lifted my hand to wrap around his neck in order to pull him in closer and gasped when he bit down, suckling at the tender flesh.

"You keep that up Jones and we won't make it to the bath..." I keened, giggling when he hoisted me up by my waist and carried me towards our bedroom. Once he placed me back down to the floor, I turned and pressed him up against the door, kissing his firm jaw and lavishing his neck in return.

He growled my name in frustration as I sucked harder on a particularly sensitive patch of skin on his neck and I could feel him growing more excited by the second. Just as I pulled his shirt off and started to nibble on his shoulder, I felt his hands sliding down my back and cup my bottom. "Looks like the bath will have to wait. Ready for round one, Princess?" He murmured.

"For you, Jones? Always," I rasped, smiling seductively before he tossed me onto the bed and pulled my shirt over my head...

The water was warm and smelled of lavender and vanilla as Jughead slid in behind me, placing kisses on my shoulder when I leaned back on his chest and relaxed. Soon, he gently began to wash my back and shoulders with a sponge, taking the time to slowly lather up the soap and massage my muscles before rinsing me off.

I loved these times of the day. I had never felt more relaxed and cherished than I do when I am with Juggie, especially during our time alone. He treated me like a goddess, worshipping my body and my soul, and I had never been more in love. Even if my marriage was not officially over, I already knew I wanted to spend the rest of my life with him. I breathed a contented sigh and he turned my head so he could look into my eyes.

"Penny for your thoughts, love?" he whispered his eyes like two storm clouds brewing with desire, his fingers tracing my jawline. I kissed the pads of his fingers tenderly as he brushed them against my lips.

"I was just thinking about how much I love you. How happy I am that we're here, how there is nowhere else I would want to be. How much I want this to be our forever," I glanced down, not wanting him to see the fear of rejection in my eyes. _It's not like you are asking for a ring, Betty._ I nibbled on my lip, thinking to myself.

Ever since Archie and I got together, I never felt like I was good enough for him - or any man for that matter. Archie never made me feel like I was the only woman in the world, rather that I had to constantly work to obtain his affections. Looking back, I'm sure if my Mom had not been so demanding when it came to perfection when I was young then I probably would have seen how universally wrong Archie and I were together. I'd have seen him for the lying, cheating, womanizing predator he really was. I never in my life would have believed that after Archie, I'd find someone I'd love as much as I do Jughead.

He grabbed my chin to bring my eyes back up to his and spoke softly, "Look at me, Betts. I want you too, **all of you**, forever. Which- um, I actually wanted to ask you something. Formally at least," I shifted myself in the tub so that I could see his face better, my heart quickening. _Is he? _He chuckled at my visible nerves.

"Don't freak, Princess. I'm not proposing marriage. I'd rather save that for after you are no longer Mrs. Archie Andrews," his lips formed a lopsided grin as he caressed my cheek. "What I am proposing though is more like a promise that would possibly lead to that someday. Um, what I'm trying to say, Betts, is... well... Betty, will you be my Queen?" Jughead's eyes sparkled, full of hope and anticipation as he waited for me to respond. A sense of euphoria washed over me and I climbed into his lap to straddle him, wrapping my hands around the back of his neck.

"Juggie, are you asking me to be the Serpent Queen? Your Serpent Queen?" I whispered in awe, running my fingers through his hair. Jughead slowly nodded and I felt my face split into a beaming grin. I couldn't seem to find my words so I just crashed my lips into his and poured my answer into it. I felt his desire twitching under me and I knew he felt the same stirring I did. He pulled back to rest his forehead on mine.

"Is that a yes, Princess?" he asked, voice husky with wanton desire. I ground my core against his hardened cock and kissed him again. "Yes, my love. I'll be your Queen. I will always be yours, Juggie," he tightened his arms around my waist and pulled me back in.

"My Queen..." he whispered, guiding my hips down and thrusting up into me. I lifted my hips up and slowly began sinking down on him repeatedly while he buried his face between my breasts, lavishing them with attention. My fingers tugged at his damp locks, eliciting growls from him that vibrated against my sternum before he captured my lips again in a bruising kiss.

"Juggie," I gasped as I pulled away, crying out every time my clit rubbed against his pubic bone. Jughead brought his hand up to cup my breast, guiding the nipple into his mouth and nibbling on it gently. He gradually moved his other hand under the water, his thumb finding my pulsating clit and pressing down firmly to draw tight circles against it. I could feel myself climbing towards my release when he whispered into my ear powerfully.

"Come for me, babygirl. I need you to come," he groaned, his jaw tightening at his impending release. I arched my back, riding him with abandon until my orgasm came screaming out of me loud enough to wake the whole damned town. I heard Jughead grunting as he rutted up into me, filling me as he came with a roar. We slowed our pace as I leaned in to kiss him sweetly, my hands caressing his cheeks.

"I love you, Juggie."

_**~Saturday - Initiation Day~**_

"Damn Blondie, you look good enough to eat. And trust me, if we were both single I would show you just how much," Toni teased suggestively as she walked into the backroom of the Wyrm that had been converted to a changing room for the night.

I hadn't put the rest of my outfit for the evening on just yet, taking a moment to admire the lingerie that Veronica and Cheryl picked out for my initiation. It was a black lace bustier with emerald green trim, matching panties, and a garter belt to hold up the sheer black stockings. I felt sexy and confident but I was also extremely nervous. The pasties Toni had made for me were barely visible through the sheer material but I knew Jug was going to lose his mind when he saw me dance.

"Thanks for the compliment... I think." I laughed nervously, desperately trying not to clench my fists.

Toni walked up to stand beside me and looked into the eyes of my reflection in the mirror. "Alright Coop, you good?" she asked me, concerned by my demeanor.

"I don't know Toni, I'm scared. Not just about the snakes but also about the dance. I know we practiced this thing for a while now, I'm just not sure about being so naked in front of everyone. I've never done anything like this before," Toni rubbed her hands up my arms and sighed.

"Betty, honey, if you can't do this it's ok. Neither Jug nor any of the rest of us will fault you or treat you differently than we already do now. This is a scary thing, but that vulnerability is what we all have to see to know you are with us. You gotta rip off your mask and stand before us as your true self. This whole thing is symbolic of that. Sexist and old school? Yes, but you know traditions are hard to break," she said softly, her eyes portraying all sincerity.

"No Tone, that's the thing, I don't want to be treated like I am now: always an outsider looking in. This is what I want; to be a part of something bigger. Just... I don't know, tell me to suck it up and pull up my big girl panties or something. I need a badass bitch pep talk here," I chuckled weakly.

"Well, you're in luck Betty Cooper, you've come to the right badass bitch," Toni grinned.

After I finished having my 'Coming to Jesus' moment with Toni, I got dressed into my powder blue sleeveless button-down and pink skirt before I stepped into the bar with my head held high and a look of determination on my face. Jug and FP were already on the stage beside a large clear coffin-like case while Sweet Pea and Fangs carried 5-gallon buckets up the stairs, placing them beside the case. I could only assume that these buckets were full of snakes and I felt my gut-churning slightly with fear.

_You can do this. You are Elizabeth __**Freaking **__Cooper. You helped put away bad guys when you were in high school. You are strong, you are fearless. Now prove it to everyone here,_ I chanted my mantra in my head as I walked towards the stage.

The crowd hushed as all eyes turned on me, checking to see if I'd falter or back out. I looked towards the back of the bar to see my mother standing with my friends and she looked so damn proud. That was a look I had rarely ever seen on her face before today and it was just what I needed to boost my confidence even higher as I joined the Serpent King and his predecessor on the stage.

Jug's expression was hard but I could see the love in his eyes as I came to stand beside him. He gave me a reassuring wink before he turned to face the crowd, speaking assuredly, "Brothers and Sisters, tonight we gather to witness the transformation of Elizabeth Cooper. She knows the laws and recited them in the face of danger. Now, she will lie with the snakes, become one with them, and emerge as a Serpent on the other side!" A thunderous roar came up from the crowd as they raised their glasses and cheered me on.

"Don't worry, Betts, none of them have their venom glands. Just stay still and remain calm. It's just five minutes, try to find your happy place. I love you," Jughead whispered before helping me into the box and gently laying me down before turning back to the crowd.

"Now for the real test, can she survive _The Box_?!" And with that, FP and Jughead started pouring buckets full of snakes all over my body, careful to not put any on my head or neck. My first instinct was to jump up and scream but I willed my body to remain still - not wanting to fail - as they closed the lid.

_This is nothing, you have lived through so much worse, Betty. You can do this, just think of Jughead._ I started to envision all of our moments together: his touches, his breath on my skin, his wet hot kisses, the way he laughed at my stupid jokes or the way he looked at me when he tells me he loves me. Before I knew what was happening, I felt hands grabbing my arms and hoisting me out of the box. I looked up at Jughead, confused, and he just smiled down at me.

"You did it, Betts. The hardest part is over and you did perfect, baby. Almost thought you were in shock there for a bit," He said, whispering to me lovingly as he slid his fingers up and down my spine.

"Wait, that was already five minutes?" I must have blacked out and gone to another part of my brain because I didn't even feel like I was in there for longer than a minute. My mouth instantly became dry as I realize now it was time for my final test: The Serpent Dance. "Hey Juggie, can I get some water before I start the dance?" I asked, my voice trembling with nerves.

"Of course babe. Here," he handed me a chilled water bottle that was sitting beside the glass case on the stage. I took a few quick gulps and willed myself to breathe normally. "I'm ready now Juggie, can you ask Toni to start the music?"

Jughead nodded as he and FP left the stage, turning the house and stage lights down as they went. I slowed my breathing as I heard the music begin to play. _It's now or never,_ I thought.

'_**Your man on the road, he doin' promo**_

_**You said, "Keep our business on the low-low"**_

_**I'm just tryna get you out the friend zone**_

'_**Cause you look even better than the photos**_'

I began to sway my hips to the music, focusing my eyes only on Jughead as I slowly unbuttoned my top and pulled it free from my skirt. My fingers trembled as they worked to pull the buttons free, but I kept watching Jughead and saw the fire in his eyes beginning to burn.

'_**I can't find your house, send me the info**_

_**Drivin' through the gated residential**_

_**Found out I was comin', sent your friends home**_

_**Keep on tryna hide it but your friends know'**_

I let my shirt gracefully fall to the floor and I bent my arms behind my back to unzip my skirt, letting it drop to the pile at my feet. I ran my hands up my body and into my hair before I stepped out of my skirt and walked slowly to the pole directly behind me.

'_**I only call you when it's half-past five**_

_**The only time that I'll be by your side**_

_**I only love it when you touch me, not feel me**_

_**When I'm fucked up, that's the real me**_

_**When I'm fucked up, that's the real me, yeah'**_

Spinning around the pole felt so freeing - like if I could do this then I could do anything. Like I was the only person who controlled my body. I caught a glimpse of the hungry look in Jug's eyes that filled me with desire as I slid my back down the pole into a squat before moving back up slowly.

'_**I only call you when it's half-past five**_

_**The only time I'd ever call you mine**_

_**I only love it when you touch me, not feel me**_

_**When I'm fucked up, that's the real me**_

_**When I'm fucked up, that's the real me, babe'**_

After doing a few more simple moves on the pole that Toni showed me, I sauntered back up to the front of the stage, swinging my hips seductively. I felt Jughead's eyes tracing every inch of my body as I started to unclasp each tiny hook on the front of my bustier.

'_**I'ma let you know and keep it simple**_

_**Tryna keep it up don't seem so simple**_

_**I just fucked two bitches 'fore I saw you**_

_**And you gon' have to do it at my tempo'**_

Once I was halfway through unclasping my top I slid my hands into my hair again, slowly tracing my fingers down my neck, onto my collarbone, until finally, they were traveling down the exposed gap between my breasts before finally falling back onto the hooks to finish the removal.

'_**Always tryna send me off to rehab**_

_**Drugs started feelin' like it's decaf**_

_**I'm just tryna live life for the moment**_

_**And all these motherfuckers want a relapse'**_

Before removing my bustier, I turned around so that my back was facing the crowd, hips still swinging. I slowly pulled the bustier open and let it fall down my arms onto the floor. Covering my breasts with my hands, I slowly turned and locked eyes with Jug. _Here we go, I hope he likes my surprise,_ I thought hopefully.

'_**I only call you when it's half-past five**_

_**The only time that I'll be by your side**_

_**I only love it when you touch me, not feel me**_

_**When I'm fucked up, that's the real me**_

_**When I'm fucked up, that's the real me, yeah'**_

I slowly lowered my hands down my sides, finally resting them on my hips while still dancing, exposing myself fully to everyone in the crowded bar. I could almost see Jughead's mouth beginning to water when he saw that the pasties I wore were in the shape of two tiny gold crowns.

'_**I only call you when it's half-past five**_

_**The only time I'd ever call you mine**_

_**I only love it when you touch me, not feel me**_

_**When I'm fucked up, that's the real me**_

_**When I'm fucked up, that's the real me, babe'**_

I headed back to the pole to finish up my dance, showing off some more of the complex tricks that we practiced this week and trying to keep my eyes on my King whenever I stopped spinning. I poured as much sex appeal as I could into the end of this dance, wanting to prove to everyone that I was not afraid.

'_**Hills have eyes, the hills have eyes**_

_**Who are you to judge? Who are you to judge?**_

_**Hide your lies, girl, hide your lies (Hide your lies, oh, baby)**_

_**Only you to trust, only you**_'

As I finished up my final move on the pole, I heard the music quietly fade as Jughead and FP walked onto the stage, along with my mother. I stood completely exposed and vulnerable on stage while Jughead carried over a black silk robe that had his Serpent symbol embroidered onto the back. As he wrapped it around me, I could feel the sexual tension pouring off of him. He leaned in to whisper lowly so that only I could hear.

"As soon as this part of the ceremony is finished _Elizabeth_, I'm going to take you into the storage closet and fuck you like the dirty girl you are. Would you like that, Princess?" My thighs clenched in anticipation at his words as he tied the robe closed for me, kissing me hard on the forehead before turning us to face the crowd.

"Serpents, as your King it is my honor to present to you our newest member and my Serpent Queen, Elizabeth Cooper!" Jughead and the crowd cheered loudly. However, as soon as the noise deemed another shout could be heard and this one sent a chill down my spine.

"OVER MY DEAD BODY IS THAT BITCH'S SLUTTY DAUGHTER EVER GOING TO BE QUEEN OF **MY** GANG!" A dark-haired woman dressed in a Serpent jacket and all-black shouted from the front door of the bar.

"Gladys?" - "Mom?!" FP and Jughead shouted in unison, disbelieving what they were seeing. I could just barely make out Jellybean, who was standing behind her mother with an apologetic look on her face, and I started to put the pieces together.

And I had a bad feeling that tonight was just getting started.


	14. Chapter 13: Mommy Dearest

If it were ever possible for time to stop, then I was pretty sure the presence of the Lady in Black standing by the bar door successfully achieved that goal. Every Serpent in the room stood around, frozen in place with their mouth's agape, staring at the drama that was unfolding in front of them.

I couldn't help but feel Jughead's tension and rage as he pushed me behind him protectively, keeping one hand in mine to keep me grounded. The silence in the room was finally broken by the raised voice of my mother coming to my defense.

"_**Excuse me**_?! Where in the hell do you get off-," was all she managed to scream before FP placed a gentle hand on her shoulder and pulled her away to keep a brawl from breaking out. She turned to glare at him until he gave her a soft look letting her know she needed to back down.

"It's ok Alli, let me handle this," he pressed kisses to her temple before turning to acknowledge Jughead's mother. Gladys climbed up on stage as FP met her halfway to block her from getting to me and Jug, glaring at her the whole time.

"Why the hell are you even here, Gladys? I didn't figure me being released from jail was something you'd come running home for," FP stated, clearly anxious, rubbing the back of his neck as he sighed. I peaked slowly around Jug's shoulder just in time to see Gladys shoot daggers at me.

"Geez, if looks could kill..." I huffed under my breath only loud enough for Jughead to hear. _What did I ever do to her to make her hate me this much?_ I wondered as Gladys stepped around FP to come closer to Jughead and I. His shoulders tensed even more and I knew his anger was shooting through the roof right now. She gave us both a hard glare and looked back at FP.

"Well, JB called me and let it slip that JJ here got himself some Northside Princess to be his girlfriend. Now, imagine my surprise when JB mentioned she was also joining our gang. I just thought it best that I was here to see this, but what JB failed to mention was that he was dating a fucking no good piece of trash like Betty Cooper," she spat at me.

"**WATCH IT GLADYS**!" Jughead snarled at her, venoming dripping from his words. His face hardened and his breathing became heavy. I knew that he was about to lose it at any moment so I placed my free hand under his shirt on the small of his back, rubbing my thumb lightly across his skin in an attempt to give him some comfort. Skin to skin contact had always calmed me and I'm just hoping to do the same for him in this intense situation.

I could see his tension starting to fade as he breathed a loud sigh before he continued, "Look here, let me make one this clear to you, Gladys. You will not come into **my** bar and speak about **my** Queen that way, do you hear me?" He commanded, never once showing any signs of backing down. Gladys' eyes filled with hatred as she pushed forward to get into Jughead's face. I cowered in fear behind him but he kept my hand firmly in his grip to keep me with him.

"Excuse me, boy? _Your_ bar? I think you mean mine and your father's bar? Last I checked, I'm still the reigning Serpent Queen and I'll be damned if I give my title up to some **whore **that easily," Gladys crossed her arms triumphantly and stared Jughead down, but he just looked at his father with an amused expression and shook his head.

"She doesn't know, does she Dad?" Jughead said, chuckling at FP who just shrugged and scratched his chin, nodding in return.

"Nope," he said, emphasizing the 'P', "Didn't see a point in telling her since she had no plans on coming back. That, and how she reacted when I got... well, you know all that," FP stated quietly. Even after all these years he still hated himself for the role he played in helping Clifford Blossom cover up Jason's murder.

Gladys looked back and forth between the two men with a confused look and waited for them to explain. "What in the hell are you two idiots babbling on about?" She demanded. Jughead barked out another laugh and motioned for his father to explain.

"See Gladys, the thing is, you aren't the Serpent Queen. Haven't been since you left. And as far as the Wyrm goes, you have no stake in this bar - or this gang as a matter of fact," FP explained plainly. The fire that had dimmed in Gladys' eyes was now a blazing inferno as she listened to FP speak.

"What the hell are you talking about, Forsythe? Of course, I'm the Queen. What the hell does this jacket mean if I am not?" She spat at FP. Before he could reply, Jughead stepped forward dragging me with him.

"What he means - _Gladys_ \- is that your name was never on the deed to this bar. You never had a stake in it. It has been and always will be a Jones family legacy and, well... You. Are. Not. A. Jones." Jughead growled through clenched teeth. I knew that he had a strained relationship with his mother but I never imagined the intense hatred that was swimming through the air right now. It broke my heart for him that she never got to see the good man that he'd become. He stood confident in front of everyone and continued.

"And, you never completed your initiation so technically you're not even a real Serpent. Dad and Grandpa kept meticulous records when it came to initiations, and you only became 'Queen' when you got knocked up and dad married you. The last actual Queen to do the initiation was Alice Smith. Therefore, Alice is Queen and has already relinquished that title to Betty. So, I will say this one last time, you will **NOT** talk about her that way in **MY **bar, got it?" With that, he turned to grab my clothes before leading me off stage to go change before we had to face whatever fresh hell that was surely on the agenda for the evening.

I glanced at the table where my friends were sitting just in time to see Veronica mouthing '_**What the fuck**_' and Kevin and Joaquin in a secretive discussion. From the look on his face, I had no doubts that Joaquin was explaining the awkward situation with whatever details he had. I looked away and followed Jughead's retreating form back to my dressing room. He half-heartedly smiled at me and held the door open so I could step inside.

As I passed him, he turned to address his dad, "Dad, I know this is your celebration, but I need a minute. I just... I don't want to be disturbed for a minute, handle this for me? Please?" He asked before closing the door and locking it, collapsing into the plush chair we moved in here for the night. He leaned forward, his shoulders shaking, elbows on his knees and face in his hands as he spoke.

"Jesus Betts, I am so fucking sorry about her. I have no idea what the hell Jelly was thinking telling that witch about you and me. By now she should fucking know better than to tell Gladys anything. JB knows I don't really get along with that woman and haven't for years. The fact that she showed up here and said those things about you. God-," he choked back frustrated tears.

My heart continued breaking for this man in front of me - the man I loved more than my own life - as I stepped between his knees, hugging his head to my stomach and soothing him by running my fingers through his hair. He whimpered and wrapped his arms around me so tight I could hardly breathe. At this moment, I didn't care, all that mattered was that Jug needed me to help him through this ordeal.

"Juggie, look at me," I whispered. He lifted his head weakly to look at me while still hanging on for dear life. "I don't care what that woman thinks of me. She can hate me for what my mother did, she can hate me because of which side of town I was raised, and she can even hate me for taking her 'title' as Queen. But none of that matters to me, as long as I have you and we love each other. Gladys doesn't scare me, she doesn't intimidate me, and I will not let her run me off. I love you, Jughead Jones, and nothing's gonna change that fact."

Jughead's eyes filled with fresh tears - happy ones this time - as he pulled me into his lap to smash his lips into mine. Our kisses started out as slow, tender ones at first but quickly became something more. They were fevered, animalistic even. I could feel his hands sliding everywhere over the soft silk of my robe and I realized I was still mostly naked from my dance. Jughead whimpered in protest as I leaned back and broke away from our kiss to stand.

I ran my hands down the valley of my breasts towards the knot that was keeping my robe closed. His eyes darkened as his tongue swiped across his bottom lip, wetting it before pulling it between his teeth. I take my time undoing the tie before I let the robe slowly fall to the floor and bend over to remove my panties, never breaking eye contact. He lets out a lustful moan as I stand before him in nothing but a pair of heels and my pasties, just two tiny little crowns hiding my raised nipples.

"Jesus Princess, you know you're gonna be the death of me right?" he said, adjusting his already rock-hard erection and pulling me closer to run his hands and lips over my body, making me shiver at his touch.

"Well, let's find out just how much you can take, Juggie... Strip. Now." I commanded seductively. He gave me a devilish smile as he stood up and brushed his lips against mine. "Not so fast. What's the magic word, Princess?" He rasped, running his fingers down my bare arms and creating goosebumps in his wake.

"Please... my King," I said softly, lowering myself to my knees and looking up at him through heavy lashes. Jughead removed his shirt, tossing it behind me while I worked to undo his pants. He hissed as I pulled his cock free, plunging it into my waiting mouth and taking him all the way inside. I pulled back slowly several times, hollowing out my cheeks and swirling my tongue over the tip with each pass until he scooped me up off the floor to slam me up against the wall. He growled deep in his chest while our tongues fought for dominance, his hands squeezing my thighs.

He trailed hot kisses down my neck while removing my pasties to get access to my hardened nipples, pinching and rolling them between his fingers as his length slipped slowly between my dripping folds. "God, you are so beautiful, Betts. I love you so much it fucking hurts. I can't lose you, Betty. I wouldn't survive it. Please, I need you," Jughead's pleas were so consuming and heartbreaking that I couldn't deny him anything he wanted at that moment.

"Then take what you need, Jug. You have all of me already, just take whatever you need," I gasped as I felt him thrust into me, his hot breath and tears soaking my neck as he fucked me. There was desperation in his movements, a primitive drive pushing him to take all of me. My head thumped against the wall as I clung to him and whispered words of love and affection into his ear. I panted and felt myself building towards my peak, my walls clamping down on his length suddenly and screaming his name when I crashed down, my body convulsing with pleasure.

Jughead continued to pound into me harder and faster than before, not satisfied until we were both spent. His lips overtook mine as he thrust deeper, smacking our pelvis' together and causing me to feel another climax approaching. He took me higher with each push forward and on his last thrust, we both reach our crescendos and came together. I felt myself pulsing, pulling every last drop from him as I rubbed my hands up and down his back. I winced slightly when he slid out of me, still holding me in his arms as he tried to bring his breathing back to normal. He walked us to the chair, sitting down and silently enjoying the afterglow for a few minutes before he finally spoke.

"Do we have to go back out there, Betts?" Jughead whispered while stroking my hair. I sighed knowing that as much as I didn't want to, we had to face whatever happened next. It wouldn't do any good for us to hide from her and it won't show very good leaders to the rest of the Serpents either.

"I know you don't want to go out there but we need to deal with this situation before it gets any worse. No matter what, she's still your mother - even if she isn't a good one. We'll handle this together Jug, just like we always do. Okay?" He smiled at me and nodded. He knew I was right and that there was no point in delaying the inevitable. "Come on baby, let's get this over with."

Once we are both fully clothed, we stepped out into the bar where everyone has gone back to doing their own thing and celebrating FP's release from prison. I looked around the bar and spotted JB and Gladys in a booth at the back while FP and my mom were slow dancing to some old love ballad on the other side of the room. If I didn't have knowledge of what had happened just an hour before, it would have been a beautiful sight.

Jughead gathered his nerves and squeezed my hand before pulling me into the direction of his mother and sister. He knew it was now or never and I wanted to get this over with just as much as he did. No matter how hard I tried, I could barely remember the woman in front of me. She was much older - and her hair was a bit more gray - but her eyes are just as I remembered: hard and cold. It's something in my dreams about Juggie that I had never been able to forget. That cold steel expression that she gave me when she ripped him out of my life as a child.

"Gladys-," I nudged him gently. Jughead cleared his throat and tried again, "Mom, tell me why you're really here?" He asked. Gladys gawked back, a mock look of hurt on her face.

"What? I can't want to see my kids? And meet my son's whor-, uh, girlfriend?" Just from the way Gladys strained to say that word, I knew it pained her to even breathe the same air as me and my mother.

"Well _Mom_, you saw me. I'm doing fine, just like I was doing fine at fifteen when you cut me off for coming back home. Oh, and like when I was eighteen and graduated highest in my class. Oh, and when I helped clear dad's name, or when I turned the Serpents clean. I was **fine** all those times, without you, and now that I've found Betty again, I'm more than fine. I'm the best I have ever been in fact," Jughead's expression softened when he said those last words and I couldn't help but beam with pride. I loved this man more than I could ever express and I knew he felt the same.

Gladys gazed down at her nearly empty whiskey sour as he spoke, her face giving off a somber expression. I could tell she was upset by his words, even if she tried to hide it. Maybe a part of her knew she had been a shit mother to her son and wanted to make things right. Then again, maybe she was just pissed that she had lost her title - and family - to the woman she hated most in this world - and her daughter. Either way, I wanted to at least attempt to make peace with this woman, for Jug and Jelly's sake of nothing else.

"Mrs. Jones? I know you and my mom have a painful history, but you have to know, I'm not my mother. I love Jughead, he's it for me. I want nothing more than to be with him and make him happy. I promise you, I will never do anything to intentionally hurt him," I tried to show her how sincere I was but her eyes shot up to mine with that same raging fire.

"Oh, is that so? Would that before or after you get divorced, _Mrs. Andrews_?" I flinched at her use of my married surname, which she noticed right away. She raised her voice and pointed her finger in my face.

"Yeah, that's right! I keep up with all the news in Riverdale. Did you think I didn't know you're married to that piece of shit? That monster that _raped_ my baby and you just expect me to welcome his slut into my family, just like that?! You make me fucking sick. Coming in here and seducing my son, giving him God only knows what diseases after you were with that pig. You will **never** be good enough for my boy. And the sooner he realizes that and throws your sorry ass out, the better," Gladys' cruel words stabbed at my heart while she continued to call me names.

The momentary shock had at her words started to fade and all I could feel was my darkness starting to rise to the surface. The anxiety rose and I started to spiral, instinctively curling my fists in. Before I could break the flesh, I was pulled out of my thoughts by Jellybean throwing her drink on her mother in a rage.

"That's enough, Mom! Are you serious right now? First, you insult Betty, who by the way is one of the sweetest, most caring people I have ever met but then you shout to the ENTIRE bar what happened to me?! Then, **somehow**, you have the nerve to blame Betty for the monstrous things that creep did when she was a victim too? This conversation is over, you need to get out. NOW!" Jellybean was seething at this point, shaking uncontrollably. The entire bar was surrounding us, waiting for orders in case Gladys tried to make more of a scene than she already had.

"Forsythia I-," Gladys started, shocked and dripping with margarita remnants. Before she could continue FP steps up to the table.

"You heard her Gladys, get the hell out. And don't think of stepping foot in this bar ever again. My last official act as King before our boy takes over completely is stripping you of your Serpent title and jacket. Hand it over and get out. I won't ask again," FP held his hand out, waiting for her to place her jacket into it. She got up, a mixture of embarrassment and anger in her expression, and threw the wet jacket in FP's face.

"Fine, I'm leaving. But just know," she turned to face Jughead and Jellybean, "from here on out, you're both dead to me. As far as I'm concerned, I have no children."

With that, Gladys Jones stormed out of the bar as fast as she came in. Jughead pulled a shaken Jellybean into an embrace as she broke down into tears over all the things her mother said.

"Juggie, take her upstairs. I'll get everything taken care of down here and I'll be up in just a few minutes. Okay?" I whispered to him while he comforted JB. I saw him give a nod before he helped his broken baby sister up the stairs. I turned and approached the bar where all of our friends were still sitting in shock. Sweet Pea's eyes followed the siblings as they retreated upstairs, a strange look clouding his features. I needed to ask Jellybean about this later, something was obviously going on with those two.

"Guys, I'm so sorry about everything you had to see tonight. Tonight was supposed to be fun and damn if that woman didn't come in and ruin it," I sighed while taking a seat at the bar, pinching the bridge of my nose to stop a headache from forming. Veronica laid her head on my shoulder while Toni rubbed my back, both trying to reassure and calm me at the same time. No one dared to say a word, well that was until Kevin couldn't take the silence any longer.

"Hey B, look at it this way, it wasn't all bad. The drama was riveting, we got to watch you go all _'Fear Factor'_ and be buried in snakes, you did that flawless performance to my favorite song by The Weeknd, and if we're being honest, I for one had no idea you screamed like that during sex. Jughead must really know what he is doing in that department," Kevin blurted out and winked before Joaquin smacked his chest, giving him a look. But it was too late, I'm already utterly mortified.

"Oh my God, did the whole bar hear us?!" I buried my face in my arms on the bar, trying to hide my crimson blush. I'm going to have to speak to Jughead about soundproofing these walls if he wants to keep having adventurous sex all over the bar. I could still feel the heat in my cheeks as everyone around me chuckled.

"Don't worry Cousin, anyone who has been in this bar at least once in the last year has heard you two going at it at some point. We're all quite used to it by now so no need to be ashamed. In fact, I agree with Kevin. If nothing else, we know Jughead knows exactly what he is doing in the bedroom," Cheryl chimed in, making me blush even more. _Can the floor swallow me up now? _

"Okay, that's it, I'm done. I'm heading upstairs to check on Jelly before I crash. You guys are welcome to hang out as long as you like. Toni, Sweets, will you guys lock up after last call?" My friends nodded and wished me a good night before I turned to carry myself up the stairs.

So much had happened in the last few days - hell, in the last few hours - that all I wanted to do was be with Jughead and forget the rest of the world even exists for awhile. By the time I reached the door to our apartment, I could feel the adrenaline crashing, just making my need to sleep all the more real.

I wasn't too surprised when I turned the doorknob and was met with nothing but silence. As I approached Jellybeans' room, I could faintly hear _Depeche Mode_ humming on the other side of the door and figured it was probably better to leave her alone for now. I could check on Jellybean in the morning. Right now I was far too exhausted to think about anything else but sleep. At least, that was until I walked into mine and Jughead's room.

I saw his clothes from earlier piled on the floor, the bathroom door propped open just enough for me to make out the sound of running water. As tired as I was just seconds before, I couldn't resist sneaking into the shower with my man. I peeled my own clothes off as I watched him through the frosted glass of the shower door. Even with the distortion, he was exquisite. He was sexy and all mine. They were right, Jughead definitely knew what he was doing in the bedroom and I was addicted.

As I slid the door open slowly he kept his back to me letting the cascade of water rain down on him. I could see the tension in his shoulders weighing him down as much as it had been doing to me. I grabbed his body wash and squeezed some into my palms before rubbing my hands together to get up a good lather. I started slowly, washing and rubbing his shoulder muscles before moving down his spine, covering every inch of his back in the suds. As he stepped further under the water, I watched his tattoo become visible again once more, no longer blocked by the soap.

His relaxed moans were enough to encourage me to keep washing him, to make him feel better, to make him forget the horrible night we'd had. I snaked my hands around his hips, lightly tracing them along the V of his pelvis before Jughead spun around to push me into the shower wall. His lips were on me in a flash, biting and suckling at the tender spots on my neck and behind the ear. I could feel how aroused he was and it only served to make me want him that much more.

"You're all mine, aren't you, Princess?" Jughead whispered into ear, tongue gliding along the curve of the lobe before gently tugging at it. I was so turned on by his domineering attitude that I couldn't think to speak, only nodded to confirm his question. He chuckled into my ear and continued to suckle on my skin.

"No Princess, use your words. Are you mine?" He breathed against my lips as he brought his hand between us and slipped his fingers inside me. The pressure that he placed on my sensitive sex with his thumb just tipped me closer to the edge.

"Yes Juggie, I'm yours, forever. Please," I bucked against his hand, riding out my current wave of passion and begging for more. I needed him more than I ever needed any man before. He was like a drug that I can't get enough of and never wanted to give up. I wanted him, and only him, forever. He pulled his hand away and kissed me hard while I wrapped my legs around his waist. He pushed himself into me, arousing a gasp in response. He halted to let me adjust before he continued, moving slowly in and out of me, dragging himself along the sensitive walls and making them clench.

Of all the places we had done it, I'd dare say sex shower was one of my personal favorites. There was just something so sensual and intimate about the act and it never failed to be an enjoyable experience for both of us. While our bodies moved together, I heard his jagged breaths as he grunted and mumbled into my neck.

"Mine... all mine... Need you... stay... please... love you... mine... forever... mine..." I felt myself tumbling over the edge and as I fell, I dragged him with me. Once our breaths were evened out, he set me back onto my own wobbly feet so we could get washed again before we stepped out of the shower. He still hasn't said anything more to me and I was starting to worry that something Gladys said could have affected him more than he was letting on.

"Juggie?" I asked as he stepped out to grab his towel and handed me my own. We dried off and slipped into some night clothes but the entire time I could feel his eyes watching me. Like he was afraid of something or that I might disappear at any moment.

I could tell whatever was bothering him earlier was still eating him alive and I wanted to help him unburden himself. He must have been able to read my worried stare because he looked at me with such pain that my heart shattered, "Juggie... Please, talk to me," my voice quivered. He stepped forward and grabbed my hand.

"Promise me, Betts. Promise me that we won't turn out like FP and Gladys... Promise that you are mine, forever. Please?" The expression of agony on his face just broke me apart. I never wanted to see that look on his face ever again.

"Juggie, I meant what I said in there. I. Am. Yours... Forever, or for however long you will have me at least. I mean it," I said, grabbing both sides of his face so he had no choice but to look me in the eye. I tried to bore the truth of my words into his eyes so he would have no doubt about what I was saying. "I love you, Juggie. Only you."

"I love you too, Betty Cooper," he pulled me close and we fell asleep wrapped in each other's arms.

"Ok Serpent's, listen up. This is Betty's first meeting as an official member and I want you guys to treat her with the trust and respect I know you already have for her. There will be no secrets when it comes to my Queen and she holds as much authority as I do. Is that understood?" Jughead asked before all those in the room shouted their agreement.

Jughead and I stood at the head of a long conference table surrounded by all of the Serpents, minus the Prospects and some older snakes who preferred to spend their time inside the bar to be Jug's eyes and ears on the floor while these meetings took place. This was the first time I was allowed to be a part of any actual Serpent business, even though it had been a month since I was crowned.

I had my suspicions that there were somethings going on behind the scenes that were pressing but Jug said he wanted more intel to formulate a plan before he included me in it. He had been on edge a bit lately and I noticed he had been a lot more clingy, not that I minded in the slightest. I loved being wrapped up in his arms and spending time with him but there was still that fear in the back of my head.

"Ok, have any of the scouts seen or heard anything?" Jughead asked. Sweet Pea stood up, his body language very rigid as he spoke. He kept giving me strange sideways glances that were making me more nervous.

"No Boss, seems that whatever the Ghoulies are planning, they've been keeping it to themselves. Haven't had any clues since- well, since the note was left on your bike," This bit of news startled me, though I tried not to show it. Just hearing the Ghoulies being mentioned caused my body to shiver. _What note? What isn't Jug telling me?_ I wondered before bringing my attention back to the discussion at hand.

"...if you see anyone who looks out of place or new, you all know what to do. We're going to increase patrols in the area and double the security rounds, at least until we figure out what the hell Malachi's angle is or if he is just working for someone else. Ok, now the next order of business..." Jughead continued but I had completely tuned out what he was saying, still trying to figure out what pieces I was missing and determined to get the truth out of Jug after the meeting.

"Ok guys, that's all for now. You're dismissed," he said and all the Serpents began to file out the door. I remained planted firmly in my seat, making it very clear that Jughead and I had some more things to discuss. After the last person walked out, Jughead closed the door and locked it before he walked over to me, lifting me up to set me on the table so that he and I were closer to eye level.

"Ok Princess, what's wrong?" Jughead asked softly as he tucked a few stray hairs behind my ear. I know whatever was going on, he was just trying to keep it from me to protect me but I was a part of this now and I needed to know everything.

"Juggie, what aren't you telling me? And don't lie to me, I want the truth," I demanded. Jughead brought his hands up to cup my face and searched my eyes. The fear and desperation in them were evident but I also saw that he knew this wouldn't go away by hiding it.

"I didn't tell you before because of the initiation but then- then things escalated and now there are more threats and I'm afraid of what'll happen. And dammit, I can't lose you, Betts. I'm the Big Bad Serpent King and I'm terrified of what might happen to you," Jughead's eyes filled with tears and his voice trembled, showing me that his fear was very real.

"What's going on, Juggie? Nothing's gonna happ-" Jughead pulled me into an embrace stopping my sentence in its tracks.

"The Ghoulies, Betts, that's what is going on. There's been a threat, a _very _real one... against you," Jughead whispered almost like he was afraid if he said it that it would come true. I felt a cold chill run down my spine and tried desperately to find the ability to speak.

"What- why? What did they say? Jug, am I in danger?" So many things were running through my head that I wasn't even sure what to expect next. Jughead continued to hold me as he spoke.

"They somehow caught wind that I have taken you as my Queen and they want to use you as a bargaining chip to get me to be... _compliant_. Ghoulies have been trying to push drugs back into the Southside ever since I pushed them out and they're looking for any weakness that they can use against me. They know that unless they have some leverage they won't get what they want out of me," Jughead's fingers twitched in that tell-tale sign that he was craving a cigarette but he was trying to resist the urge to leave the room so we could talk more. We had been trying to quit smoking but the last month had been so stressful for him that I decided against nagging him when he picked it back up.

"Those damned freaks hate the fact that the Serpents are making the Southside better and also making a profit off legit business deals so they want to hurt us, mostly me, in any way they can. I waited to tell you because I didn't know if they were just rumors but a few weeks ago I got a note that was very clearly a threat against you, so I couldn't keep it from you anymore," Jughead walked over to his desk and pulled out a worn slip of paper.

_**Can't wait to hear how that bitch of yours screams when we all get a taste of her. Better hide that pretty thing away or the next time you see her will be when you are collecting what's**_

_**left of her in the river. -M **_

Jughead could tell how visibly shaken I was as he brought his arms back around me and held me to his chest. "I swear to you, Betts. I won't let them touch you. I'll kill each and every one of those bastards before I'll ever let them hurt you."

"I know, Juggie. What are we going to do? Have the guys heard anything about what they might be planning?" Even though I was terrified of what the note implied I knew that, right now, I needed to be smart and help the gang figure out what the Ghoulies might be planning. I walked over to the other side of the room and grabbed Jughead's cigarettes and brought them to him.

"Baby, I know you don't like me smoking in front of you. I can wait," Jughead tried to push the pack away but I grabbed his hand to stop him. I slowly pulled two cigarette out and put one between each of our lips before opening his zippo to light them. He took a long drag, watching me do the same, then closed his eyes and blew it out slowly, "Thanks, baby. That one won't mess you up?"

"No, I needed this just as much as you did. So what are we going to do now Juggie?" I asked, taking a drag and flicking my ashes into the ashtray on the desk. I could tell from his expression that he was struggling with an idea but he was afraid that I wouldn't like it. I raised an eyebrow at him and blew smoke over my shoulder before I spoke, "Just tell me, Jug."

"Well, the only thing I know to do now is to give you a bodyguard, at least until we can figure out a plan of attack. You're gonna need protection around the clock if I'm not here. I can't let anything happen to you," Jughead brushed my hair back from my shoulder and buried his face into my neck as he hugged me close. I wrapped my arms around him and tried to keep him grounded and calm.

"It's ok, I'll do whatever will help you sleep better at night. We'll get through this together," I tilted his head up to give him a kiss before embracing him once again.

_All I can see is darkness, just a black and endless void. No light, no breeze, no indication of where I am other than the broken down tombstones and the horrid stench: the smell of rotting flesh and death. I try to struggle but this only serves to make the chains around my neck and waist tighter. _

_I know that I have to use my head if I ever want to get out of this, I just wish I knew what he was doing and how I got here. I feel my breath starting to get harder and harder to take. "Juggie, where are you? Help me..." I gasp._

"_No one's gonna save you now Blondie." A chilling voice echoed in the darkness."And once we are through with you, you're gonna beg for death to take you." I feel the chains squeeze tighter and tighter and tighter as a hand reaches down to unbutton my pants. I beg and fight until all I can do is scream..._

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" I screamed, clawing at my throat desperate to get the unseen chains off my neck. I could feel hands on me but I flailed in an attempt to keep my captor away from me. I continued to scream and cried out in fear when someone shook me gently.

"Betts, Betty, wake up, Betty! You're having another nightmare! Wake up!" I snapped out of my dream state to see Jughead hovering over me, fear and concern etched on his features. I looked around in confusion and saw that I was still in our bed in our room at the bar. The moonlight shining into the room illuminated it just enough for me to see clearly. There was no darkness, no unseen evil, no chains binding me.

"Oh, Juggie..." I choked out as the tears broke through. In one motion he lifted me up and cradled me on his lap. The sobs that escaped my body were just as bad as they were all those months ago when the nightmares first started. _I thought that I'd moved past this fear_. It had been almost three months since my initiation, two since the Ghoulies had threatened to attack and kidnap me from the Wyrm, and one since my divorce was finalized. And soon it would be close to a year since Jug and I got together. So much has happened and I am not sure what to do anymore.

I spent my time always looking over my shoulder, always in constant fear, to the point where I no longer wanted to leave the bar. Not even when I knew I would have someone with me. There were too many risks and once the panic attacks started again, I knew there was no stopping the eventual nightmares.

"Shhh, Betts, it's ok. I got you, Princess, you're safe. I promise I will protect you. Forever, baby. I'm not gonna let anything happen to you. I swear," Jughead's voice was soft and reassuring, but I was just so tired. Tired of the fear, tired of the nightmare's, tired of the paranoia. I didn't think I could take it anymore and I was done being afraid. I knew Jughead had shot down the one good idea to stop the Ghoulies because it was too much of a risk but I was tired of hiding.

"Juggie, I know you may not want to hear this, but I think we need to think about Sweets plan more. It's a good idea and I know you won't let anything happen to me," he was about to protest so I cut him off and continued, "and before you say anything, just know I want to do this. I want this to be over so we can go back to how things were before. I know you're scared but we have some pretty skilled badasses at our disposal and I think it's time to use them," he looked straight ahead for a moment, trying to decide what he should do next.

"Can you really handle it, Betts? It's not going to be easy and there is a good chance that it can go sideways real quick," Jughead lifted my chin to look into my eyes and I nodded in response. "Ok, if you are sure, then I guess we are using you as bait."


	15. Chapter 14: The Devil's Rejects

_**BETTY POV**_

_**~Two Weeks Later~**_

"No, absolutely not, have you lost your damn mind? That's the worst fucking idea you've come up with yet and that's putting it lightly. It would be way too dangerous Sweets, there is no way I can let her get that close to any of the Ghoulies, but especially not Malachi. He's a fucking psycho and he already made personal threats towards her more than once," Jughead and I sat in our conference room surrounded by our most trusted Serpent companions in order to go over ideas for the trap to catch the Ghoulies and stop them for good. We were all a bit on edge about this plan but it seemed like the best option we had, even if Jug thought it way too risky.

_I just want this to be over with so we can finally have some peace,_ I thought to myself, trying to squash this constant nausea that seemed to be coursing through my body lately. I don't have time to think about that right now, I just needed to get the planning taken care of first and then I could call to see if my doctor could prescribe something safe to help with nausea.

"Look J, I know that you're worried about Betty but we will be right there to keep her safe. And even if they somehow grab her, the Ghoulies won't be able to get far before we intercept them. Besides you and I have both seen how she handles herself, she can take whatever bullshit they throw at her. Honestly, I almost pity the Ghoulie that lays a finger on our Queen," I could see from his defensive body language that - no matter what he came up with - Sweet Pea wasn't going to get through to Jug. I needed to step in quickly to reassure him before Jughead vetoed this plan altogether and put us back at square one.

"Juggie, Sweets is right. This is a solid plan and I trust you guys to have my back to make sure nothing happens to me," I cupped his face in my hands, forcing him to look into my eyes. "Jug, it's gonna work. We already made sure to leak intel to Malachi that I'm going to be in Greendale late Friday night signing the papers to finalize the alimony payments. We know he has been waiting for an opportunity like this and he'll try to have his guys snatch me outside Kevin's office. Once they get close to me, we grab them and take care of these assholes once and for all," I waited patiently, watching him mull it over in his head, knowing good and well that he was still too afraid to think straight. My heart broke seeing the look of angst that crossed his features.

"But what if he hurts you, baby? I couldn't take it if something-," Jughead choked out, turning his head away from the group. I knew he was scared for me but I had to do this now before it was too late. I couldn't live in fear anymore, not now. I have spent too long hiding from ghosts of my past that I was only able to live halfway in my future. I could see that he was about to break so I pulled Jughead to the far corner of the room where we could talk more privately.

"Listen to me, baby. Nothing's going to happen to me, I promise. Fangs told me today that he already had a guy put a tracker in my jacket and my bracelet so you could have a constant eye on me. It's a good plan baby and, right now, it's the only way we know to keep me safe," I whispered, turning his face so I could see his eyes, laying my forehead against his. I felt his breath fanning my face, giving me a sense of peace. "Believe me, baby, this will work out. And if - God forbid - he does get his hands on me, I know you'll save me," he nodded slowly in a silent agreement before dropping a light kiss to my temple, hugging me to him tightly. He rubbed his hand along my spine and sighed before turning back to the group.

"Ok, fine. We do this. But, the **first** sign of trouble, we abort. I won't have Betty out there taking all the risks. Sweets, Fangs: I need you guys running point on this with me. Make sure we take every precaution to make sure nothing happens to Betts. Toni, get ahold of Syd and have him meet Joaquin at Kevin's office. Joaquin, I want you to take a couple of our tech guys over there so they can help Syd tap into the security system and CCTV cameras in the area. I can't have us going in blind, not when our Queen is playing bait. Dakota, this is your shot buddy. I want you on the inside with Betty acting as her bodyguard. You're still relatively new and I don't think any of the Ghoulies have ever seen your face so this shouldn't raise suspicion. You'll be acting as my inside man in case shit goes sideways. Whatever happens, I need you to protect Betty at all costs. Do you hear me? Okay, that should be all for now. Serpents, let's get to it," Jughead waved his hand in dismissal and everyone scattered to start putting the plan in motion.

I already knew this was going to be a difficult thing for him to do but we both understood that this was the best way to stop Malachi. Jughead's hands trembled as he picked up his cigarette that I had to take his zippo from him to light it. He nodded his thanks, slumping down in his chair and taking a long drag while scratching the back of his neck. I stepped behind him, placing my hands on his shoulder and massaged the knots I bent down and dropped little kisses to the side of his face. His muscles loosened and with a moan, he rolled his head back and forth while blowing his smoke away from me.

"Juggie, it's gonna be okay. I'm gonna be okay. You gotta remember that baby," he huffed and pulled me from behind him and into his lap, engulfing me in his arms. I grabbed his cigarette and placed it into the ashtray on the table, wrapping my arms around him before sighing against my neck. The anxiety was rolling off of him in waves as I trailed light kisses along his jawline and his cheeks. I moved my way up to his ear, adding gentle nips with my kisses and felt his pulse beginning to race while his breathing quickened. I grinned against his ear, running my tongue along the lobe and panted into his ear.

"What do you say we have some alone time for a bit? Maybe grab some food and just relax upstairs, just the two of us? JB is going to be at her shift at Pop's so we can have the apartment to ourselves. I have a surprise for you and I want you all to myself tonight, baby," I whispered suggestively, Jughead pulling back to smirk at me.

"You know what, I think that's a great idea, Princess," Jughead bent down to run his tongue along the column of my neck, suckling at my pulse point leaving a faint bruise. "I need to take care of a few things down here first but how 'bout I see if Dakota will run to pick up our order from Pop's while you go upstairs and get ready for me. I shouldn't be more than a few hours so that'll give you time to get in one of those power naps you're so fond of. Frankly, for what I have in mind, you're gonna need it," Jughead whispered against my skin sending a thunderbolt of heat straight down to my core.

"How about I go with him so he can drop me at Ronnie's on his way to Pop's? I need to pick up some things I had delivered to her place anyway and she wanted me to visit for a little bit," he pulled back, narrowing his eyes and giving me a questioning look as if to say '_What are you up to?'. _I shook my head at him before capturing his lip with my own.

"Sorry Juggie, it's part of the surprise. You'll just have to find out tonight," I said as I licked my lips, winking at him. I giggled at his low growl, the action sending shivers down my spine and before I knew it his lips and his hands are on me again, burning my skin in the most delicious way.

"You are **definitely** going to be punished for that later, Princess," he said while biting my collarbone to produce more moans from me. I threw my legs over his hips to straddle him before grinding down on his growing arousal, running my fingers into his hair as he ravages my neck.

"Promise?" I gasped. He worked his way back up to my lips and chuckled against them at my eagerness.

"You can count on it," he said teasingly, pulling himself further away from my lips before finally letting me capture them in another rough, desire filled kiss.

"I'm just running inside for a little bit so if you could swing by and pick me up after running those errands Jug needs taken care of and grabbing my order from Pop's, that would be awesome!" I yelled over my shoulder through the open passenger window to Dakota while crossing the street to The Pembrooke.

"You got it, boss lady. See you in a few hours!" Dakota gave me a quick mock salute that had me chuckling before he drove off in the direction of downtown. As soon as he was out of sight I ran into the building, excited to pick up the special gift for Jughead that Veronica helped me put together. I could hardly wait to see how it all turned out once she got it all finished. The exhaustion has been wearing on me already so Veronica took it upon herself to design the gifts and order them from her vendors. I could already feel that I would need that nap that Juggie suggested when I get back. I stepped off the elevator but before I even got a chance to knock, the door swung open and I felt Veronica gather me into a bear hug.

"Hiya Hot Momma, how goes it? Morning sickness still a bitch?" She asked, wiggling her eyebrows while rocking me back and forth playfully. I cringed at her nickname, not really wanting the entire building to hear.

"Shh, Ronnie, I would prefer that Jug find out before Reggie and half the residents of The Pembrooke do. You know how the rumor mill in this town is!" I whisper yelled, looking around to see if we were alone. I knew that she was just as excited about this situation as much as I was but some discretion would be nice.

"Don't be so jumpy, B," Veronica laughed. "Reg's at the gym right now and I doubt anyone here cares that you're preg-," I threw my hand over her mouth and backed her into the apartment, shushing her.

"Jesus Veronica, watch it with the P-word okay? I'm serious when I say no one else knows about this right now and I'd love to keep it that way, at least till after tonight," I shook my head, releasing her from my grip. "Now, try not to use that word again until after I tell Juggie, okay?"

"Okay, okay. I'm sorry, B. I'm just so excited! I have wanted to be a _Tía _my whole life and now I finally get to! Don't take this from me just yet. For now, we can celebrate in secret, just the two of us," Veronica chuckled. "Really though, I promise I'll keep my mouth shut from here on out until you tell him. Although... I do have to ask B, are you sure about doing this tonight? I know you guys have some hair-brained scheme cooked up to use you as live bait or something but is it really wise to tell him about the mini-serpent beforehand? Because Jughead Jones doesn't seem like the kind of man who would willing put not only his girl at risk but also his unborn child," I sighed, knowing that she was spot on with her question.

While she did have a point on how this would affect the plan, I knew that if I didn't tell him it would be so much worse when he found out. This may throw all our best-laid plans out the window but I knew I couldn't keep this from him. I knew how important family was to him and I just couldn't find it in my heart to lie to him, even if this would raise his stress level through the roof.

"Ronnie, I have to tell him now. If he finds out that I hid it from him, knowing full well how dangerous it could be, he would never forgive me. I already feel horrible that I had my first appointment without him. At least if I tell him about the baby beforehand he'll make sure to take even more precautions to ensure our safety," I laid my hand on my stomach, lowering my eyes to the teddy bear clutching the framed picture of the sonogram and felt a twinge of guilt that he wasn't with me when I had my appointment earlier this week.

"_Hello Miss Cooper, how are you doing this afternoon?" Dr. Patel asked while checking my chart. _

"_Please, call me Betty. Honestly, I'm not doing great. I think I may be coming down with the flu or something. I've felt really run down and I haven't been able to really hold much down the last few weeks. I just wanted to come in to see about getting some Tamiflu or something to try to get me through the last of this," I haven't felt this horrible since waking up with a massive hangover after all those college frat parties that my roommate would drag me to. _

"_Well, unfortunately, Miss Coop- I mean Betty, I don't think that Tamiflu is going to help with what you have going on," Dr. Patel smiled at me, placing the chart down on the countertop._

"_What do you mean? Is something else wrong?" My heart began to pound, my mind racing at the possibilities. _

"_Let me be the first to congratulate you, seems your test results came back positive. You're pregnant," I froze. _Could it be possible? _I mean sure, we were careful but these things happen all the time, right? Especially with the kinds of stress we've been under and switching birth control, I may have missed a pill or two. Dr. Patel continued chatting while I stayed lost in my thoughts. "How about we go ahead and do a sonogram, that way we can measure the fetus and see how many weeks you are?"_

"_Yes, please," I looked at my flat stomach with tears in my eyes and smiled. _

"Look, Betty, don't feel bad. How could you have known that Dr. Patel was going to do a pregnancy test that would come back positive? Especially when you only went to him for a sick visit? It's not like you guys were trying and given that you were still on birth control, he just wanted to make sure everything was progressing. You're only 6 weeks, you will have plenty more appointments and ultrasounds that Jug can go to before this little one is born," Veronica said, laying her hand over mine and giving me a reassuring smile.

"I know you're right, V. I'm just so scared, what if he freaks out about the baby? What if this is too much too fast? I mean, shit my divorce just got finalized and now I'm pregnant. What if... what if he doesn't want this? I have wanted a baby for so long and I don't know what I'll do if he doesn't want this," I could feel my eyes stinging with hot tears. _Fucking hormones,_ I thought, clinging to my non-existent baby bump.

"Are you kidding me, Betty? That boy is over the moon for you and I'm fairly certain that he will feel the exact same way about your little one when you tell him," Veronica pulled me into another hug, her words causing all the tension I felt to be released from my body. She was right, of course, she always was. Jughead and I may not have planned for a family just yet but I knew I wanted him to be my forever and that was all that mattered to me. I chuckled as a few tears slipped down my cheeks before feeling my phone vibrate in my pocket. It was Dakota texting me to let me know that something came up and he was downstairs to get me early.

"Dammit. Kota is back already, have you got everything together for Jug's present?" I asked, wiping the remaining tears off my face. Veronica instantly looked panicked and started running around gathering things up.

"Shit! I thought we had a few more hours to do all that, B?! I still have a few finishing touches to put on the bear and Reggie isn't back yet so I can't go get the rest of the supplies for the scrapbook. I didn't think you'd be leaving so soon or I would've had it all ready before now." Veronica said in a rush. She was starting to freak out when it wasn't that dire of a situation.

"V. V, stop! It's okay, don't freak out on me. It's only 5 o'clock and Jug probably still has a few more hours of paperwork to do anyway, so why don't you get everything finished up here and drop it off to me around 8 pm? That way I can go home, take a nice nap, and then get the apartment ready. You think that'll give you enough time to get it all together?" I asked calmly. Veronica placed her hand over her heart and blew out a huge breath.

"Yeah, that's perfect! I'm sorry it wasn't ready for you now, I just really thought Reggie would be home sooner than this and I could have finished it all," she apologized.

"Ronnie, it's okay. There's no rush, take your time. I'll see you in a few hours, okay?" I said, hugging her before heading back downstairs to meet Dakota. I noticed that he was staring out the driver's window not paying me any mind so I slid in the passenger seat quickly, jarring him from his thoughts. I started to fiddle with the radio dials trying to find a good station when I felt his eyes boring holes through me. I looked up at him, puzzled.

"Kota, you good? You look like someone kicked a puppy in front of you or something," his eyebrows were drawn together and his lips pressed into a hard line, sadness written in his expression. That's when I realized that there were no take out bags, no smell of greasy burgers or sweet milkshakes. A sudden chill shot through me and I had a terrible feeling that something had happened to one of the Serpents. "Dakota? What happened? Is Jug okay? Please, please tell me that Jug's okay," I pleaded, my voice straining against the panic. I could feel it in my bones, something wasn't right. Dakota shook his head and paused, seeming to attempt to gather up the courage for whatever he had to say.

"I'm sorry Betty, I really am," Dakota stated sadly before he looked away from me again, visibly shaken. My blood ran cold at his words.

"Sorry? Sorry for what? Tell me, please Dakota. What is there to be sorry for? " I begged him to answer, furrowing my brow in confusion.

"For this..." A rough voice from behind me whispered in my ear just as I felt a sharp pinch in my neck. I tried to struggle against this unseen assailant but my limbs began to sag further and further into the seat cushion. I just barely had time to make out the figure of a dark-haired man laughing in my ear as I faded deeper and deeper into the darkness.

_**JUGHEAD POV**_

"Toni, can you check in the back and tell me what our bourbon stock is looking like? I swear we go through this shit like water," I yelled to Toni from the booth next to the stockroom, pinching the bridge of my nose in frustration. I understood that running a bar meant going through a lot of liquor but this shit was ridiculous. I was really going to have to discuss these tabs with a few of my regulars who haven't paid up in awhile before I ended up in debt up to my eyeballs. The inventory and the purchase order were the last things few I had to do before I was officially free for the night and I just wanted to get it done. All I could think about all afternoon was spending the rest of my night snuggled up in front of the TV with my girl, eating greasy junk food. And if she wasn't too tired, maybe a little exercise to burn off the calories from those burgers and wear her out.

"Sure thing, Boss!" Toni called back, counting a few more things before walking out a few minutes later. "Looks like we got about two cases left so you might need to order more, just to be safe. You know how the boys get," Toni said as she started to hang the clean wine glasses above the bar then stacking the shot glasses.

"Alright. I swear, I'm so ready for this night to be over. Hell, I'm ready for this fucking week to be over so we can get the Ghoulies off our backs once and for all," I sighed, dragging my hands through my hair. I tugged lightly, the slight pain grounding me.

"Has she caught on to what you've got planned yet?" Toni shot me a knowing smile and I instantly felt my nerves return. These last few months have been some of the longest, most stress-filled months of my entire life and all I wanted was for them to be over so Betty and I could start our lives together, the right way.

It was about a month ago when she signed her divorce papers that I made the decision that could potentially change everything between us. That day I had to make an emergency run over to Seaside to pick up a shipment of craft beers from one of our distributors because their truck had broken down. I had gotten there a bit early so I decided to grab some lunch and then come back at the pick-up time.

I walked past a few locally owned shops when I saw it. Inside a quaint little jeweler, tucked into a corner, was the most beautiful ring I had ever seen. It was an oval-cut peach sapphire surrounded by a halo of tiny, round diamonds in a rose gold setting with a matching diamond and rose gold wedding band. It shone brightest out of all the jewels in the window and something about it screamed Betty's name. It was soft but bright. Radiant, just like her smile. I didn't even think- hell, I'm pretty sure I was running on impulse the entire time, but somehow I walked out of the store with a brand new engagement ring and a plan. I was going to make her my wife, if she would have me. I knew I loved her when I was 4 years old and nothing would ever change how I felt about her.

"No, I've been keeping the ring in my secret hiding spot so she hasn't stumbled on anything yet. And, I would appreciate it if you kept your voice down. You are the only person I've told. Don't make me regret it, Topaz," I narrowed my eyes at her playfully. Toni had been my best friend since I came back to Riverdale, I couldn't not tell her.

"Hey, I ain't gonna say anything Jones. I just wanted to know if she has seen through your terrible lying skills yet?" Toni laughed.

"Well if she suspected anything then she hasn't said anything about it. She's been sick the last few weeks though so I think that's worked in my favor, even if I hate that she has been sick," I shrugged. I hated seeing her so sick but she assured me that Dr. Patel hadn't found anything wrong and that she should be better soon. I'm pulled from my thoughts when I realized Toni was still talking to me.

"Earth to Jones?" She said, waving her hand in my face.

"Yeah? Sorry, I was just thinking-," I started.

"Yeah, yeah. About Betty, I know. What I asked was if you had a plan on how you would do it?" Toni came and joined me at my booth so I could relay all my plans to her in a whisper, away from the more gossipy Serpents.

It wasn't until much later when I checked the clock that I realized it had been several hours since I'd heard anything from Betty, save for when Dakota called to let me know she had requested a little extra girl time with Veronica. I couldn't really begrudge her that much, not with everything that she's had going on lately.

She hadn't gotten to spend hardly anytime away from the bar unless it was to go on grocery runs with Toni and Cheryl or on her outing to her doctor's appointment. And given how sick she was, I somehow doubted that she enjoyed that visit very much. I just wished she would have called and let me know when she'd be back so I knew if I had time to shower beforehand.

Just as I was finishing up my paperwork, I noticed Veronica walking through the door with a giant gift box in her arms but oddly there was no Betty insight. I thought it was strange since they were together all day but waved her over to where I was currently hunkered down.

"Howdy Jones, B still sleeping?" I looked at her in confusion. Had Betty come home without telling me?

"What do you mean, Ronnie? I thought she was still with you? Dakota said you were bringing her back after your visit," her smile dropped at my statement and she looked just as confused as I felt. _Could she have she snuck in without me noticing? _Kota said he had some stuff to take care of at his mom's place so he wouldn't be back tonight. Maybe he dropped her off anyway and I just didn't see her come in?

"No Jug, that Dakota guy picked her up hours ago. She said she wanted to come home and take a nap before your plans tonight," my heart started to race as I jumped up, running upstairs and checking everywhere in the apartment but finding no trace of her. In my panic, I pulled out my cell to dial both Dakota and Betty's numbers but both just kept going straight to voicemail. Fear started to seep into my bones as I ran back downstairs to a frightened-looking Veronica. I dialed the number to Pop's to see if, by some chance, Jellybean had seen them today.

"_Thanks for calling Pop's, this is JB. May I take your order?_" Jellybean answered in her well-practiced waitressing voice.

"Jelly, it's Jug. You haven't seen Betty today have you?" I knew my voice was coming out frantic but I couldn't shake the feeling that something had happened to Betty.

"_Jug? No, of course not. I haven't seen her all night. Is everything okay, did something happen to Betty?_" Jellybean replied, concern evident in her voice as well. I could feel my heart pounding outside my chest. _Where are you, baby?_ I wondered.

"I-I don't know, Dakota said she was at Veronica's but Ronnie said she left hours ago. Wait- JB hold on a sec, Veronica is trying to tell me something," I pulled the phone away from my ear to hear Veronica better. She had a strange, far off look on her face that I couldn't place. "Yeah?"

"Betty said he went to pick up food from Pop's, has she seen him at all today?" Veronica asked, still deep in thought and not meeting my gaze.

"Hey Jel, has Kota been in at all today? Maybe around- um- around 4:30 or 5? Ronnie just said that he went there around that time to pick up our food," I asked. Something told me that I already knew the answer and it wasn't a good one.

"_No Jug, he hasn't been in here at all. Sweet Pea and I thought we saw him drive past around the time I was on my break but I couldn't tell if it was him or not. Besides, there was another dude in the backseat, not Betty, so I don't think that was him_," the dread I felt only built more hearing that Dakota had lied about where he was this afternoon. Something wasn't right, I could feel it in my bones.

"Jelly, I'm gonna make a few more calls but let me know if you hear from her? Okay?" Jellybean agreed quickly and hang up. I looked over and noticed Veronica was clutching the gift box in her hands for dear life. Just as I was about to ask her about the box, my phone rang, startling me but causing me to blow out a sigh of relief when I saw Betty's picture flashing across my screen.

"Jesus Princess, where are you? You had me and V worried sic-," a deep voice chuckled on the line, one that definitely was not Betty's, cutting off my thoughts.

"_Now, now Jonesy-Boy. Why on earth would I tell you where we are? Me and your little blonde bitch haven't even had any time to play yet._" _**Malachi.**_ How the fuck did this happen? I clenched my teeth as I spat out his name.

"Malachi! How in the hell did you get her phone?" Veronica stumbled back in fear when she heard his name drop from my lips. I heard his sinister chuckle taunting me once again.

"_Well, 'cause I got your girl here, of course. If I can give you a little tip, next time you assign someone a bodyguard, make sure they aren't one of mine,_" I felt my fist tightening and my jaw clenched before I saw red.

"What?!" I growled, slamming my fist on the table beside me. Dakota was a mole, this whole time? How could I not have known that for the last two years I had a Ghoulie spy in my ranks? _I am going to find that son of a bitch and skin him alive.'_ I seethed.

"_Wow Jones, I thought you were smarter than this. It was so easy to plant one of my guys among that sorry excuse for a gang you have there. Jacoby, or well Dakota as you all called him, really does deserve a fucking Oscar for his acting skills. He really had you fucking convinced that you could trust him, huh? You just handed your little bitch right over to him, lucky for me I should say. So here's how it's gonna go Jonesy-Boy, I am gonna give you 24 hours to clear out of Riverdale. All of you. We get your land, your bar, and all the cash in the safes. If you don't give us what we want, well, then things might get pretty ugly for Blondie over here,_" He said as he sucked his teeth. I knew exactly what he was insinuating.

"I swear to Christ Malachi, if you touch her I will rip your fucking heart out and feed it to you, you son of a bitch," I growled. I knew we didn't have much time to get her out of there before he would start making good on his threats.

"_Well, you better hurry up then, huh? Cause after 24 hours, me and the guys are gonna play a little game with your girl to see who can make her scream the loudest. If you're really lucky, Jones, there will be enough left for an open casket... but don't count on it,_" I dropped the phone as I heard the click of the line going dead.

"Jug?" Veronica asked in a shaky voice, Toni standing beside her to keep her upright. I felt myself trembling in anger. I couldn't even begin to process the feelings running through my body at this moment.

"The Ghoulies have Betty. We had a spy. **A FUCKING SPY**!" I screamed, grabbing the nearest bottle and throwing it against the wall. Everyone in the room fell dead silent, completely aghast at what just happened. "Dakota was a Ghoulie plant. I'm going to **kill** that motherfucker!" I roared, the hatred rising and making my blood boil.

"We'll get her back, man. I swear we will get her back." Fangs said, trying to calm me but all I could focus on was the terror on Veronica's face. She was trembling but still had yet to drop the box in her hands. She looked up at me and I could see that she wanted to say something but she was having trouble finding the words. Finally, when she couldn't get any to form, she reached her arms out, handing me the box. I sat it down on the table of the booth she had collapsed into and opened it.

"Ronnie, what is this?" I asked, confused by the contents of the box. Staring back up at me was a graining, framed black and white photo being held by a teddy bear. I watched the tears stream down Veronica's cheeks as she mustered up the courage to speak.

"It was supposed to be Betty's surprise, Jug. She was going to tell you tonight and I was supposed to help her put this together. Jug, Betty's pregnant."

"Yeah Dad, call all the guys. I don't fucking care if they're retired! This is their **Queen **and your soon to be daughter-in-law for fuck's sake. I need you to have Alice drive you down here. We have some stuff we need to discuss and she should be here for that. It's important, okay? Alright, I love you too Dad," I hit the end call button so hard I was surprised my screen didn't crack. I needed every available Serpent out there looking for Betty but I just didn't have the heart to tell Dad and Alice that she was pregnant yet, at least not over the phone.

I walked out back into the bar from my office to Veronica still sitting in the corner booth sobbing, arms wrapped around herself. I knew she blamed herself but I knew that there was nothing she could have done to stop this from happening. As soon as I found out that Betty was missing, I had the guys out searching for any sign of her or Dakota. I wasn't really sure what had transpired but I was certain of one thing, Dakota betrayed us and he was going to pay dearly for it. Especially if something happened to Betty or our baby.

_Jesus, our baby. Betty is having my baby. I promise Betty, I'm coming for you, Princess,_ I thought to myself. I walked over to the distraught brunette and hugged her to my chest while she sobbed.

"V, we're gonna find her, okay? I promise. But I need you to keep a clear head. You are the last person who saw her so it's important that we have all the facts so we know where to find her," I crouched down in front of Veronica as she sat back down, meeting her eyes with determination. "Believe me, I'm fucking terrified too but I have to keep my head on straight so we can kill these bastards," Veronica's eyes widened but she nodded her head in understanding.

"Would you really k-kill them, Jug?" She asked through a hiccup. I could see she was afraid of the answer that she already knew was coming.

"Yeah Ronnie, I would. If they hurt her, even just a little bit, I will kill every last one of those motherfuckers," I said flatly. And I meant every damned word of it, they were going to pay for this.

"Good," she nodded her head again before she aggressively wiped the tears from her cheeks. She stood up straighter and held my gaze. Something in her body language shifted, almost sinisterly. "I know some places where we can dump a body if the need arises."

_**BETTY POV**_

The first thing I noticed was the smell, like the stench of rotting wood and dirt. _Where am I? What the hell happened to me? Where's Dakota?_ I had no memory of what happened to me after slipping into Dakota's car and him apologizing, then it was nothing but blackness. I just needed to think about everything leading up to my blackout and figure out where I was so I could get the hell out of here.

I slowly opened my eyes but all I could see was darkness, save for one sliver of light coming from the small window to my left. No other lights, no breeze, no clear indication of where I was other than what sounded to be a busy bar - or club - or something above me. I was laying on my side on a dusty old mattress, my head pounding and my neck cramping. I couldn't seem to get past the fog in my brain but I knew that I had to use my head if I ever wanted to get out of this. I struggled to stand up, still having my hands and feet bound, but this only served to make the zip ties around my wrists and ankles dig painfully into my flesh.

I could at least tell from the position of the window that I was being held in a basement of some sort and that it was night time. I felt my breathing begin to get ragged as I tried to remember what my survivalist handbook said about situations like this. "There has to be some way out of here. Think Betty, think. If I can just get out of these restraints I might be able to get help..." I whispered to myself.

"I wouldn't count on it, Blondie. No one's gonna save you now. You're all mine," a chilling voice echoed in the darkness. He stepped forward slowly and I stiffened, remembering his voice in my ears before I passed out. It was the man from the diner that had been making threats on my life, that much I could tell for sure.

"Don't worry your pretty little head, sweetie. You and I are gonna have **lots **of fun together before that boyfriend of you even arrives. But I gotta warn you, once me and my boys are through with you, you're gonna beg for death to take you," I felt my gut-clenching and my heart dropped as he lowered his head down to ran his tongue up my cheek, licking up the tears I didn't realize I was shedding.

_Please find us Juggie... Please..._


	16. Chapter 15: Along Came a Spider

_**BETTY POV**_

_***Whack***_

He hit me again, this time with a closed fist instead of an open palm and I could taste the distinct taste of cooper filling my mouth. I tried to spit out the taste, wincing at the pain from my split lip as he laughed at my whimper. He had spent the better part of the last 48 hours (give or take from how many times the sun has set while I have been here) tormenting me anyway he saw fit. He would come in every few hours to slap me around but I would never break. I could still taste the bitter cooper flavor when he grabbed my chin and forced me to look at him.

"What's wrong, Blondie? Can't take a hit? Well, you're in luck. Your snakes are still slithering around Riverdale and my boss isn't here so let's change things up a bit. See how good you can take _me _before I let my boys have their piece."

I shuddered as silent tears poured down my cheeks at his words, knowing what he and his boys planned to do to me. I forced my brain to come to terms with what was about to happen and what they would do to me, willing my mind to disconnect from my body. _I won't let him take all of me. He can take my body but I will not allow him to take anything else,_ I decided to myself. All I could do now was pray that someone would help me.

Malachi walked around me a few times, sneering at me as I continue to suppress my sobs. He laughed as he forces me to my hands and knees, the sound of his belt being undone causing me to tremble more. _Please, please don't let him hurt the baby. I can take it but please protect my baby... _I begged in my mind. Just as he started to unzip his pants, I heard a loud banging on the door.

"Who the fuck is it?" He snarled, angry that his fun had been interrupted. I held my breath, continuing to beg the universe to intervene.

"Big boss needs to see you upstairs. Right now," the familiar voice yelled through the door. _Dakota?_ _No. It can't be...he...he was one of us. Oh, God..._ My mind was racing and I wondered what he could possibly be doing here unless he was a trader. _I'll kill the bastard myself if Jug doesn't do it first._

"Dammit, fine. One sec. Looks like we will have to pause our playtime, Blondie," he said smugly, leaning against my back to whisper into my ear. Suddenly, I felt him roughly cup the apex of my thighs through my pants and squeezed while planting a sloppy kiss to my cheek. "Keep it warm for me, would ya?"

I felt my stomach turn, dry heaves involuntarily starting at the thought. He let out a wicked chuckle before he sauntered out of the door, telling the traitor on the other side to 'have his fun, just as long as it's with my mouth'. With that, the dry heaves actually turned into me emptying the contents of my stomach on the floor beside the mattress.

My captor laughed even harder at my current state of distress before he le5 me alone with that turncoat, Dakota. _If that's even his real name. _He closed the door behind him, staring firmly at the sickened look on my face and groaned deeply, "Dammit Betts, I didn't- God, help me. He swore he wasn't gonna hurt you. If I'd of known-" he choked out.

"What? What would you have done, huh? Come clean with the Serpents and beg for forgiveness? Run back to these assholes and tell them all our secrets? Do you know what that motherfucker has done to me already? Fuck, what he plans to do to me?" I yelled, too angry to care about the tears that were continuing to fall down my face.

"Betty, I swear, I've been trying to get you out of here for two days. I promise I won't let them hurt you, okay? I'll... I'll protect you," He pleaded with me, seemingly sincere. I wanted to trust, desperately wanted him to be the person I thought he was but I had to be careful. I had another life inside me to think about now.

"And who's going to protect my baby, huh?" I couldn't stop the wail that escaped my throat, "I swear to Christ, if I lose this baby... Well, let's just say, you better hope Jug gets to you before I do because I won't be as merciful."

I watched the color completely drain from his face before he crumbled to the floor, tears piercing his eyes as he crawled across the floor towards me, "I didn't know, Betts. I swear to God, if I had known you were pregnant I never would have agreed to Malachi's plan."

I watched as he reached into his back, producing a switchblade and flicking it open, "Okay Betts, I got you in this mess, I'm gonna get you out of it. Just promise me you won't kick my ass before I get you back to Serpent territory?"

I nodded and Dakota cut the ties on my wrists and ankles, helping me off the dingy mattress and onto my feet. "Look, there's no way we're making it out that door without a fight. Malachi will kill me on the spot if he knows I am helping you escape so we have to be quick and quiet. Do you think you can make it through that window?"

"If it means getting out of this hell-hole, I'd crawl over broken glass," I stated, frowning at him. I still didn't trust him as far as I could throw him but if he was my only way home, what choice did I have? He grabbed my hand and boosted me up towards the window, pushing me through as soon as the window popped open.

Suddenly, we hear a commotion outside and hear Malachi coming back. Dakota looks at me with dread in his eyes and tossed me the keys to his car. "Go, run! I'm parked just on the other side of those trees. I'll stall them as long as I can. Just be careful and- tell Jug I'm sorry for my part in this. Now, go!" He whisper-yelled to me then quickly unzipped his pants and turned his switchblade around, stabbing it into his shoulder. "Go!"

I stood up without looking back and began running as quickly as possible towards the tree line, towards where he said he parked. I heard shouting coming from behind me but I don't stop, I was too close to getting away now. I run through the woods, branches scratching my skin as I flee. I could finally see his car in the distance and I knew if I could just reach it, I would be home free. Just as I burst through the trees, I felt someone grab me from behind and covering my mouth as I tried to scream. We tumbled to the ground and I started squirming underneath him, scraping my elbows on bits of gravel as I desperately tried to get away from him.

"Where'd you think you're going, lil' bit? Boss has plans for you," the man barked at me, his teeth gleaming as he wrapped his hand around my around the neck, squeezing until the edges of my vision started fading to black.

Just before I began to lose consciousness, I heard shouting and suddenly I felt his weight leave my body. The sudden rush of air into my throat was almost too much as I sputtered and coughed, trying to fill my lungs too quickly.

I tried to sit up but the dizziness was too much and I fell back down on the cold, hard ground. Just before I faded into the darkness I felt a hand in mine and heard a soothing voice, "Don't worry Blondie. We've got you, you're safe now."

_**JUGHEAD POV**_

"Dad, I don't fucking care, it's been two days! I'll burn this entire fucking town to the ground and kill everything in my path to get her back. I will kill every last one of those motherfu-," the loud slamming of the door to the bar stopped my rant in its tracks. I watched as Sweet Pea and Jellybean stormed into the bar, a balled-up blonde in Sweet Pea's arms, the trio rushing towards me.

"Betty?!" I ran to meet them, taking Betty from him and cradling her in my arms as I sank to the floor in tears. I looked up to see my sister in tears as well, Sweet Pea's arms wrapped around her as she cried into his chest. Betty was unconscious, bloody and covered with bruises and cuts over the majority of her body, but she was breathing.

"How Jelly? How did you-," I managed to choke out before my voice broke, betraying my emotions. I held her to me tightly as I stared at my sister and noticed Sweet Pea kissing the crown of her head and whispering into her ear.

"Sweets came to Pop's to watch out for me since I was on the late shift. We hated not being able to find anything so after work, we decided to go looking for her. We drove around in his bike for hours until I spotted Dakota's car in Ghoulie territory. We went to investigate and saw-," Jellybean paused, clearly not wanting me to know what happened to her. She turned in Sweet Pea's arms and began to sob again as he shushed her, murmuring into her hair.

"Oh Princess, what did they do to you?" I whispered to her, tears running down my cheeks. I picked her up and turned back to Sweet Pea. "Call the doc, we need to make sure the baby is okay and find out what the hell those monsters did to her."

I turned on my heels to carry her upstairs to our apartment. Betty whimpered quietly until I heard her whispering my name and it broke my heart to see her like this. I'm just praying that she and the baby are both okay. Here I was just thinking of asking her to be my wife and now I'm going to be a Dad and I don't want to lose this feeling. I want a family with her, it's all I have ever wanted my entire life. I just hope I will get to tell her that.

_**BETTY POV**_

The first thing I noticed was that **everything **hurt, my entire body felt like it had been run through the wringer and I had no clue where I was. I could hear hushed voices in the background and suddenly everything comes flooding back: Malachi, the beatings, Dakota saving me, running through the woods, that man on top of me...

"**No**! No, no. no, no!" I screamed, throwing punches and fighting off whoever may be holding me hostage until I heard his voice in my ear.

"Betty, baby. It's okay, you're okay," Jughead whispered softly, stroking my hair tenderly. "I've got you, Princess. They can't hurt you anymore, I won't let them."

I struggled to open my eyes, one of them is swollen almost completely shut, but I was finally able to open them enough to see Jug's face coming into focus. His eyes were bloodshot, tears staining his cheeks. His hair was a mess and he was wearing a bloody tank top.

"Juggie?" I wailed as he gathered me into a tight embrace, just glad to be home and back in his arms. I bawled, clinging to him for dear life and praying that he would never let me go. Suddenly, fear gripped me again. I pushed him back as my hands flew to my stomach. "Jug, is- is the baby...?"

"The baby's fine, Betts. Dr. Patel said it has a strong heartbeat and he is going to have an ultrasound machine brought here to take a look just to be sure. But for now, everything is okay. Our baby is okay," he said. Jughead was crying now too and hugged me to his chest while he wrapped his arms around me. After a few more minutes like this, I gathered up the strength to speak.

"I want him dead, Jug. I want to watch the life leaves his eyes after what he did to me... after what he _planned_ to do to me. I don't ever want him to do this to anyone else," I was resolute in what I wanted to be done. Malachi didn't deserve to breathe the same air as my child would soon breathe. "And, we need to find out who the Ghoulies are working for too. Someone hired them to do this but Dako- Dakota didn't know who it was."

"If I see that traitor, I will kill hi-," I stopped him before he could go any further. I didn't want anything to happen to Dakota. Not now, not after what he risked to save me.

"No, Jug. He's the only reason I'm here and alive. He saved me and sacrificed himself to make sure I was safe. He was just a Prospect for them, he didn't know what Malachi planned and he was disgusted with himself when he found out what happened to me. I won't let anyone hurt him, do you hear me? He is under **my **protection from here on out and anyone who tries to fuck with him will deal with me, got it?" I knew that it would seem irrational to a lot of people but I might be dead - or worse - if not for him.

"Ok, Princess. No one will touch him. I promise. But if he made it out of there alive, he and I **will** be having a chat," Jughead said, looking into my eyes with such fire that I couldn't help it when my breath hitched just a tiny bit. His face softened and he swallowed hard, looking at me with fear in his eyes before he spoke again, "Betty, did Malachi...? Did he...?"

I knew what he was asking and I understood how hard this was for him to take. I knew I needed to reassure him that I was okay, in all aspects. "No, Juggie, he didn't. He- um, he _tried_ but Kota stopped him before he could do anything," I watched Jughead's shoulders slump in relief before he climbed into the bed beside me, holding me close.

"I'm so sorry, Betts. I'm sorry I wasn't there, I'm sorry that he hurt you, I'm sorry-," I put my fingers on his lips to still them and kissed his cheek softly.

"This is not your fault. You have nothing to be sorry for, I'm okay. This baby is okay. Let's just get some rest for now, alright? We have a lot of work to do if we are going to take these fuckers down.

"Ok, Betts. Let's get some sleep. I love you," Jughead whispered against my temple before kissing it.

"I love you too, Jug. Always."

_**BETTY POV**_

_**Six Weeks Later...**_

"Alright, Miss Cooper, everything looks absolutely wonderful. Your baby is measuring around twelve weeks and four days so you are almost officially out of your first trimester. How does it feel?" Dr. Patel asked with a smile.

"It feels amazing. I'm so glad that I'm finally over the morning sickness and excited to find out what I'm having so I can finally buy nursery stuff," I chuckled, pulling my shirt down over my tiny baby bump after all the gel was cleaned off. "Would I be able to get the video of the ultrasound to take back home to show my boyfriend?"

"Of course, that's no problem," he handed me a disk and smiled again. "I'll see you again in four weeks and then we will set up your gender ultrasound for the following appointment. Alright?"

"Thank you Doc, that sounds perfect," I waved as I left the room and walked out into the reception area to get my appointment card. When I walked into the lobby, I saw Sweet Pea waiting for me and looking very uncomfortable.

"Sweets?" I laughed at him when he jumped out of his chair as if he'd been burned.

"Yeah, peachy-keen, Princess. Now, let's get the hell out of here before one more lady asks me when my kid is due," he huffed in embarrassment, stepping in front of me to get the door.

Ever since I was taken and then rescued a few days later by him and Jellybean, I had been under 24/7 guard. If I was not at the bar with Jug, someone in the Serpents was with me at all times. Cheryl and Toni have been sticking close to me and whenever I want to go to Veronica's for girl time, they usually accompany me. Veronica had security bumped up at The Pembrooke also, just as a precaution.

The Serpents had spent the last month and a half preparing for another Ghoulie attack but they seemed to be lying low. It was frustrating me to no end because I just wanted this all to be over but we are no closer to finding out who the mastermind behind my kidnapping was then we were six weeks ago.

"Blondie, you good?" Sweet Pea asked me, looking concerned. Sweet Pea and I had become closer since he helped to bring me home, almost like brother and sister. I believed that was due to the fact that we learned he and Jellybean been secretly dating for the last six months that night. I always knew something was going on there and I was happy for them. I shook myself out of my thoughts and smiled at him.

"Yeah, I'm good. Just thinking. Let's get back to the Wyrm so we can send Fangs out for some Pop's. This little one has its daddy appetite," I started to laugh until I heard someone say my name behind me. I halted, my blood running cold as I saw the look of unadulterated hatred on Sweet Pea's face. I turned and came face to face with my ex, Archie.

"Well, what do we have here? Elizabeth, seems like you've been getting around with _all_ the Serpents lately. Tell me, do they all take turns at one time or do they have the decency to fuck you behind closed doors before the next one slithers his way into that nice cunt of yours? Do you even know whose bastard it is you're carrying?" Archie was leaning up against his car which he'd parked right next to Sweet Pea's bike, blocking us from getting by. Sweet Pea started to lunge towards him but I stopped him.

"What's the matter, Archibald? Pissed because you found out that little skank you were banging lied about being knocked up and dipped when she found out what a piece of dog shit you are? Not that I blame her, if I knew back then what I know now, I would have cut that four inches you are packing off and fed it to the pigs," I stared him down, showing him no fear as we started to walk around him. Sweet Pea and I straddled the bike before Archie jumped into his car and turned to me with an evil grin.

"I'll tell Malachi you said hello. See you soon, Elizabeth..." Archie said, speeding off before Sweet Pea gave me a nod and we take off towards the Wyrm. My thoughts were numb the entire way home, my grip on Sweets waist iron clad from the fear that was choking me. When we finally pulled up to the Wyrm, the churning in my stomach was too much to take and I tossed the helmet off, jumping off the bike to vomit in the grass by the bar.

Jughead and some of the Serpents were out front and came rushing to my side when they saw me collapse on the grass after I got sick. Jughead ran up and knelt down beside me, rubbing my back while I continued to empty out my breakfast.

"Morning sickness?" He questioned but I shook my head, dry heaving at the thought that I had actually been married to such a sick individual. My fists gripped the grass, pulling the blades between my fingers as I clenched my teeth.

"Archie was waiting out front of the doc's when we left, Boss. Said some pretty nasty stuff about Queenie and then let Betty know that he was in contact with Malachi," Sweet Pea said from behind me. I sensed Jughead tensing next to me, his breathing growing heavy, likely trying to calm his building rage.

"It was him, Juggie. I know it was. He's the one who hired Malachi to...to..." I choked out as I started to sob. Jughead wrapped his arms around me, helping me into the bar to sit down while he had Toni bring me a glass of ginger ale to settle my stomach.

"What did he say to you, Betty?" I explained to him everything that happened, everything that he said to me - verbatim. When I was finished, I saw a look in his eyes that I had never seen from him before. "Juggie?"

"I'm going to make him pay, Princess. He's going to get what's coming to him, just like Malachi. If it's the last thing I do, those motherfuckers are going to get what they deserve," Jughead said, his jaw clenched and his hands balled into fists at his side.

"I know you will, Jug. Right now, we need a strategy for luring them out and I think you know as well as I do that there is only one way to do that."

Jughead flinched before going completely rigid at my words. I know it's dangerous and he was worried about me but it was still a solid plan. "No. Absolut-," he started.

"**Forsythe**. It's the only fucking way and you damn well know it. These scumbags won't be coming out of their hiding places unless something is there to entice them. And we all know there is only one thing they really want. So, we give it to them," I said, trying to make him understand the original plan was still the best we had at this point.

"Christ Betts, why the fuck do you insist on putting yourself in danger? This isn't just you that we're talking about, what about the baby?" His fingers started twitching so I pulled him out of the booth by the wrist and walked him back outside to grab a cigarette.

"Jug, you know it's what we have to do. But this time we will have every possible scenario planned out. Malachi won't get within two feet of me and you know it. He won't risk me getting shot, he wants _other_ things from me first," I shivered as I remember how his hands felt against my skin and the pain from the hits my body took from him.

"I'm not going to let that fucker get the chance, as soon as I have a clear shot it's going in his skull," Jughead's fingers shook as he lit his cigarette and took a puff. I knew that this plan would scare him but we didn't have another option. It was now or never.


	17. Chapter 16: Death Proof

Alright, folks! This is it, it's almost the end and I honestly don't know how to feel! This is the very first fic that I wrote back a little over a year ago and so much has changed since then. It's weird to know that I will finally have my first multi-chapter fic completed. I feel like I have accomplished something lol!

Anywho, I really hope you all like where this fic is headed and that the ending is everything you had hoped for! I love you all and I am so thankful to all those who have supported me on my writing journey. I love you all so much!

-Bina ?

P.S. I also wanted to mention the warning for this chapter: attempted sexual assault (not really graphic but be warned anyway), violence, and smut (the very beginning if you are so inclined to skip it lol.)

_**BETTY POV**_

My eyes fluttered open as I moaned, the sensations from my lower lips sending searing pleasure coursing through my veins. Jughead hummed against my swollen clit, inserting two fingers to slowly pump deep inside. I lifted my head to watch him, my fingers sinking into his hair to hold in place while I took the pleasure he gave.

"Mmm, morning, Juggie. Don't stop, baby. Your- fuck, your mouth feels so good," I purred, slowly rocking my hips for more friction. He wrapped his free arm around my thigh, pressing me opened further as he suckled on my sensitive button. I was rising to the brink, ready to fall, when the sensation of his teeth nipping my clit threw me over the edge.

I shouted his name as I came, one hand fisting the sheets while my other pulled roughly at his dark curl, my juices coating his tongue while he lapped up every last drop. He dipped his tongue inside my throbbing cunt again, wanting to keep me riding my high as long as possible.

As I laid there - completely boneless from the sheer ferocity of my climax - Jughead crawled up my body and rolled me onto my side. He trailed kisses up my spine, biting and sucking bruises onto my sensitive flesh before finally reaching my neck. He positioned his body behind me, slipping inside me with ease. His breathy grunts in my ear had my body tingling, the coil in my belly tightening already after just a few strokes.

I wrapped my arm behind me, pulling his head further into the slope of my neck while he slowly slid his length into my soaked core over again. His panting breaths fanned my cheek as his hand slipped past my hip bone to my pulsating clit, pressing his rough fingertip against it to coax another orgasm from me. My pulse raced erratically as he ran his tongue up my neck, flicking my earlobe before pulling it between his teeth.

"I never want this feeling to end, I want to feel you like this forever," Jughead breathed, his fingers rubbing tight, slow circles on my nub while his thickness glided in and out of me. His body began to tense as my walls trembled around him and I knew he was getting close. He leaned in closer to my ear, plunging into me further and hitting my sweet spot as he whispered, "Marry me, Princess. Be mine forever, please."

My eyes squeezed shut tightly when I felt that familiar electricity pulsing through my body, his words causing my world to shift as my orgasm ripped through me. I clamped down on his cock, milking him until he had completely spent himself deep inside me with a whisper of my name. I panted, trying to catch my breath while he still pulsed inside my heat and it took me a moment to register what he said. I looked back at him, his eyes filled with so much devotion that it stole my breath, "Juggie?"

"Marry me, Betts?"

Without pulling out of me, he leaned back slightly and opened his side table to pull out a small velvet box. He wrapped his arm back around me, bringing it in front of me and allowing me to open the box. I gasped, seeing the most beautiful ring in the world nestled inside. _How long has he had this? _He softened and slowly slid out of me before I turned over to face him, my eyes glassy with unshed tears.

"I've been trying to find the right time to ask you this for months now but something always seems to come up and get in the way. But I can't wait anymore, Betty. I have loved you for as long as I can remember. Even when we weren't together, I knew that one day I'd find you and I don't ever want us to be apart again. You are my Queen and you've already given me the greatest gift of all by carrying my child, so will you make me a complete man and be my wife too?" He asked, taking the ring out of the box and holding it out for me gingerly. I was so overwhelmed that I couldn't even respond with words, I simply nodded and threw myself into his arms, kissing him through my happy tears.

"Yes, yes! I'll marry you, Juggie," I whispered repeatedly against his lips, my arms wrapped around his neck to hold him closer. After a few more minutes of getting lost in each other's kisses, Jughead pulled away to place the ring on my finger and grinned at me.

"I love you so damned much, Betts," he said, smiling down on me as I admired the ring on my finger. If you had told me a year ago that this would be where I would end up, I would have laughed in your face. But now, being here in this moment with the man that I loved, I knew that there was no other place I would have wanted my life to end up. I beamed up at him, bringing him down into a soft kiss before palming his face to look into my eyes.

"I love you, Jughead Jones."

"Sweet Pea, meeting in ten! Get the hell off my sister and get dressed before I cut your balls off!" Jughead shouted through Jellybean's bedroom door, banging on it a few times for emphasis. I couldn't help but laugh at the look on his face knowing that one of his best friends was now romantically involved with his baby sister.

Sweet Pea had been spending more nights here than at Sunnyside lately so he could be close to JB but Jughead still hadn't adjusted to it well. He would always see Jellybean as his baby sister and thinking of her involved with anyone was just not something he liked to imagine.

"Jesus Forsythe, he'll be done in a minute!" Jellybean yelled back before we heard the distinct sound of a bed squeaking followed by JB's moans. Jughead's face screwed up in disgust as he grabbed his cigarettes and Serpent jacket to get away from the apartment as quickly as possible...

"Come on, Betts. I don't even need to hear that shit," he said with a shudder. I slipped my keds on and followed him out the door, chuckling the whole way. We made it halfway down the stairs before he turned on me with a frown. "It's **not **funny, Princess. I don't need to hear my sister and my best friend going at it at all hours of the day and night."

"You mean like us?" I giggled, wrapping my arms around his neck and giving him a quick peck on the tip of his nose. "Seriously Jug, they are consenting adults. You knew that she'd find a guy someday and who better than one of our own guys? We both trust Sweets, he won't hurt her. Besides, he knows if he does, he'll be dealing with **me**," I grinned wickedly and kissed him again, pecking kisses all over his face until he smiled.

"That's the damn truth. If anyone is gonna cut my balls off, Jones, it's Blondie," Sweet Pea responded from behind me. I turned to see him and JB - both now dressed but clearly disheveled - coming down the hall towards us. Jughead groaned and marched the rest of the way down the stairs, dragging me with him towards our conference room.

Once we arrived, we took our place at the head of the conference table, Jughead pulling a chair out for me to sit on. He kissed me tenderly on the crown of my head before turning to the crowd of Serpents who were filing in behind us. He waited until everyone was seated or standing around and the door was closed before he spoke.

"Alright, you all know why we're here. We received intel yesterday that the Ghoulies were actually hired by Blondie's ex-husband to kidnap her and hurt her. And while some of you know this info I'm about to give you, others may not. We have already had bad blood in the past with the scumbag who started all of this," Jughead paused, squeezing my hand before he continued, "His name is Archie Andrews."

The entire room exploded in an uproar, half of the men jumping from their seats and growling just from the mention of his name. I knew already that Archie had seemed to make quite a few enemies on the Southside but it seemed the majority of them were Serpents.

"What're we gonna do about this sick fucker, Boss?" A rather large Serpent named Razor asked. I remembered this man as one of the regulars at the bar and I knew he had a sister that had a past with Archie as well. Jughead turned to me, his concern for the plan still evident in his eyes as he stared at me. I held his gaze, not flinching or backing down, and he sighed heavily before nodding.

"Well, Princess, you wanna fill them in?" Jughead waved his hand out towards the crowd of men and women, motioning for me to explain the idea we came up with. I stood up and squeezed his hand once more before letting go to step forward to lean across the table.

"I have a plan-"

"Not a great one," Jughead muttered under his breath, shutting up when my eyes snapped to his in irritation. I knew he didn't like the plan Sweets and I came up with but he wasn't going to disrespect me in front of **our** men. Shrugged his shoulders and mouthed '**sorry'** before nodding for me to continue.

"As I was saying, I have a plan. We all know what the Ghoulies want: to hurt Jughead and the Serpents as much as possible. And Archie, well- Archie wants to hurt **me**, in any way possible. I spent years being abused and controlled by that monster and I refuse to live in fear any more. So my plan is simple, we give them what they want." I stated firmly, holding my head up high while those around me gasped in horror.

"Are you fucking insane, Blondie?" Toni shouted, her hands clenched into fists at her side. She looked frantically between Jughead and I, trying to read the situation.

"Maybe? But it's the only way, T. We've got one shot at this and I **fully **intend to come out of this on top. Neither Malachi or Archie will risk hurting me, I am too valuable of a bargaining chip for either of them to do something that stupid and reckless. They want to hurt the Serpent King, maybe even bring him to his knees, but they are smart enough to know that if anything happens to me or this baby, that they will have to deal with his wrath," I explained further. I could tell that the Serpents were not comfortable with the idea but they sat and listened to me anyway.

"I am going to contact Malachi, tell him I want to make a deal in exchange that he doesn't harm Jug or the baby. When I escaped, I got a good look at where they stationed their guys on patrol. If we can clear those men out then we can get inside and take care of the others. Syd already said he can fit me with a body cam, one so small that they won't even be able to see it if it's hidden in a piece of jewelry. Jughead and Sweets will have a direct feed to the cam and will be able to see what room they take me into. I already know that he won't do anything until Archie is there so we wait for him and that's when we strike. I will try to get Archie on camera admitting to his crimes and once you all take out his guys outside, you can come in and rescue me..." I trailed off, watching the face around me to try and gauge their reactions. I jumped slightly when I heard a familiar voice speak up in the otherwise quiet room.

"I can't say I'm thrilled about this plan of yours, Elizabeth, but it could work. And you won't have to go in alone."

"What? Mom- you can't-" I tried to protest but my mother held her hand up to silence me.

"No, I will not hear it, Elizabeth. We go in together or not at all. This would not be my first time dealing with something like this and as the former Serpent Queen - **and your mother **\- I am pulling rank," Alice stood firm, not budging once. I knew my mother would not like this idea but I never guessed that she would volunteer to go into the lion's den with me. I knew there was no use in fighting her on it so I simply nodded and moved on.

"Okay, we do this together. I'll have Syd fit your glasses with a second cam in case we get separated. We only have three days to plan this and make it as solid as possible, guys, so we need everyone with us on this. Are you with us?" I asked, my voice strong and unyielding.

Everyone in the room stood in unison and shouted, "IN UNITY THERE IS STRENGTH!" The sound roared and reverberated off of the walls of the conference room and rattled my chest with its power.

"In Unity There Is Strength," Jughead and I echoed back, looking at each other and smiling.

_**Three Days Later...**_

I took a deep staggering breath, swallowing my fear as me and my mom walked up the gravel drive, heading straight for the group of Ghoulies standing outside the blood-red doors of the House of the Dead. The floodlights shining behind them made it hard to tell who was who but I could clearly see the outline of the man who had haunted my dreams for the last month and a half. I held my head high, glaring at him defiantly and not showing any hesitation - even when he spoke.

"Well, well, well. I didn't think you'd really come, Blondie. And with a friend in tow-"

"Fuck you, asshole. I'm her mother and I am here to make sure you don't hurt my grandchild that she is carrying," Alice spat at him, venom dripping from her tongue. Fiery hatred raged in Alice's eyes as she scowled at my attacker.

"Oooo, we have a fiesty one on our hands, boys. Looks like the snake didn't slither far from that tree, did it? I'll keep my part of the bargain, so long as the Serpent Queen does exactly what I ask and gives me _**everything**_ I want. We clear?" Malachi said, a wicked smirk on his lips as he focused on the growing curves of my body. I placed my hand over my abdomen in a subconscious attempt to keep my baby safe from this evil bastard.

Just the thought of him touching me brought bile to my throat, burning its way up and threatening to spill out of my mouth. I breathed through my nose slowly, keeping my heart rate down to make sure nothing happened to my baby. I took a moment to gather my wits and looked around when I caught a glimpse of a familiar face.

_Dakota..._

_He's alive. They bought the ruse and he was able to convince them that I escaped on my own!_ I watched him carefully as he glowered at me, his eyes betraying him and showing his concern for this situation. I could only hope that they put us in the room with him so then I would know for sure we at least had an ally on the inside. _Lord, if Jug can see this, he is going to be fuming! _He was still ready to get ahold of Dakota for his part in my kidnapping so if he makes it out of this, Jug will be having a few words with him.

"Fine, _Malachi_. As long as you don't do anything to harm my baby then we have a deal," I replied, hoping my voice wasn't as shaky as it felt. Dakota sent me a glare and stepped closer to Malachi, whispering something into his ear that had him grinning with malicious glee. I swallowed hard and glanced at my mother. Her expression was stoic, as always in situations like this, no emotion showing on her face as we stood before the gang members in front of us.

"Well, ladies, shall we?" Malachi snapped his fingers and my mother and I were both grabbed from behind by some larger Ghoulies. I watched as Dakota walked up to me, an evil grin plastered on his smug face. He looked menacing but something in his eyes told me he needed me to play along with what he was about to do.

"Bitch, you and I are going to have a little _discussion _when we get you downstairs. And this time I am not stupid enough to have my knife on me so you can stab me again," Dakota growled, gripping my hair and pulling hard.

"I should have stabbed you in the dick you perverted son of a bitch!" I shouted, spitting in his face for added effect. He reared back and slapped me across the face, my face stinging as I tasted blood in my mouth. _Jug is __**definitely**_ _gonna kick your ass now, motherfucker._

"Get them inside, now. I have to call the boss and then we can get this party started," Malachi motioned for the men to drag us into The House of the Dead. I noticed that there were not many men present in the building, or in the surrounding areas. By my count, we had at least two times the number of men.

_Which is a relief..._

I was terrified of what would happen if Jughead and the Serpents didn't get to me and Alice fast enough. I knew FP, Sweets, and Jug were watching every move we made but it was still terrifying to be pulled back into the belly of the beast, this time of my own accord. I took a few deep breaths to stave off the panic I felt as we approached the same room I was held in before, this time noticing that the window had been boarded up from the outside.

"What's wrong, are you assholes afraid I'll get away again?" I barked out a laugh, earning a slap to the back of my head by Dakota. I swung my head around to scowl at him, hoping to convey that he is just making it worse for himself by putting hands on me.

Once we were brought inside, I was thrown onto the dingy mattress that haunted my dreams and my mother was tied to a nearby pole. Then all of our captors - all except Dakota - left. He turned quickly and dropped his facade as soon as the door was closed behind him, marching over to me with his brow furrowed.

"What the hell are you doing here, Betty? Don't you know how dangerous it is for you to be here? Malachi was seriously pissed when you got away the last time. You have no idea what he said he'd do to you if he got his hands on you again," Dakota said, a grave expression taking over his features. I could tell that he was genuinely afraid of Malachi and what he was planning to do. I smiled up at him reassuringly and shook my head.

"Don't worry. We have a plan."

_**JUGHEAD POV**_

"_**Oooo, we have a fiesty one on our hands, boys. Looks like the snake didn't drop far from that tree, did it? I'll keep my part of the bargain as long as the Serpent Queen does what I ask and gives me **_**everything **_**I want. We clear?"**_

"I'm gonna kill that motherfucker!" I growled, watching Malachi interacting with Betty through the video feed. Just the way he licked his lips as he stared her down made my blood boil.

"We'll get our chance to kick his ass but for now you need to keep your head, boy." My Dad tried to reason with me, and I knew he was right but I still wanted to hurt this bastard. After what he did to Betty the last time, the nightmares he gave her, I will make him pay. One way or another.

"_**Bitch, you and I are going to have a little discussion when we get you downstairs. And this time I am not stupid enough to have my knife on me so you can stab me again."**_

"**I should have stabbed you in the dick you perverted son of a bitch!"**

I looked down at the screen just in time to see Dakota slapping Betty across the face after she spits on him. Even now - knowing that he was probably acting and that Dakota leading the group of men that had Betty and Alice hostage was a good thing - I still wanted to kill him for laying his hands on her.

I gritted my teeth further as I watched them toss Betty onto a dirty mattress and tie Alice up to what looked like a large pipe running from the floor to the ceiling. Once the others left and she was alone with her mom and Dakota, he turned to face her with a panicked look on his face.

"_**What the hell are you doing here, Betty? Don't you know how dangerous it is for you to be here? Malachi was seriously pissed when you got away the last time. You have no idea what he said he'd do to you if he got his hands on you again."**_

"**Don't worry. We have a plan."**

Her voice sounded so calm and collected - so strong - and it helped to calm me some. I kept watching her interactions with Dakota as we waited for our queue.

"_**Don't you get it, Betty? He isn't going to hold up his end of the deal! He will not hesitate to kill you, cut out your baby, and drop your broken corpse on the front steps of the Wyrm... Malachi has been obsessing about it ever since you got out. Lucky for me, he didn't figure out I helped you, that's why he put me in charge of watching you until Red gets here. He figured I would want to rough you up for 'stabbing' me but it is seriously stupid for you to be here! He expects me to be in here roughing you up right now!"**_

"**Then you better do something, or else he will know something is wrong..."**

"_**What are you saying, Betty? That I need to rough you up? Cause that shit ain't gonna happen, even if you weren't pregnant. I already hit you enough to be on Jones' shit list, I ain't trying to get my ass killed..." **_

"Well, at least he knows that much about you," Sweet Pea chuckled from behind me where he was standing over my shoulder to watch the monitor. I rolled my eyes and held my breath, waiting to see what would happen next.

"**Dakota, if you don't, he will kill us both! So now it's time to nut up and be a fucking man and hit me dammit!"** I heard the venom in Betty's voice and I knew she was serious. My body tensed, anticipating the hit that was sure to come. My breath hitched as Dakota raised his hand and open palm slapped Betty.

"**Is that the best you can do?"** I heard Betty snickering and watched her spit blood to the floor. "**Stop being a pussy and hit me like a fucking man!"**

Dakota reared back again - this time with a closed fist - and punched Betty. My fists clenched as I heard her whimpering. _I'm kicking his ass when I get a hold of him... _I watched Betty spit more blood from her mouth before turning back to face Dakota

"**That's more like it. Now, loosen the restraints on my mom but don't make it obvious. Are they going to check for weapons when they come in?"**

"_**Nah, I was supposed to frisk you when you got in here."**_

"**Okay, Mom has a switchblade in the interior of her boot. Grab it and put it in her hand so she can conceal it in her sleeve. It's our fail-safe... just in case Jug doesn't make it in time."**

_I'm coming, Princess. I promise you, I'm coming for you..._

_**BETTY POV**_

I watched Dakota do as he was told, making sure my mom had her blade and that she could easily slip out of the ropes at a moment's notice. Dakota jumped, scrabbling back towards me when he heard voices outside the door. He gave me an apologetic look before he pulled his hand back again.

_***SLAP***_

"Fucking bitch! You're lucky Malachi wants the first crack at you or I'd show you what happens to Serpent whores in our house!" Dakota shouted at me, his brows furrowed and a scowl on his lips. The door creaked open to reveal Malachi and Archie, both with sinister grins that made my stomach feel like there was a heavy stone embedded into it.

"Having fun, 'Koby?" Malachi chuckled, stepping closer to me and grabbing my chin to examine the damage. I could see Archie standing beside Dakota, a noticeable bulge in the front of his jeans as he stared back at me.

_That sick fuck is getting off on this! How the fuck I not know what kind of monster he was? When I get my hands on him I'll-_

"We're all good here now, 'Koby. Red and I want to have a little fun with Jones' whore for a bit while mommy dearest watches," Malachi chuckled, running his fingertips along the slope of my neck and down my sternum before roughly grabbing my breast. The bile returned, threatening to spill over if he touched me again. I decided to keep them monologuing for as long as possible to buy some time for Jughead and the boys to arrive.

"Why, Archie?"

"Why not? It's fun, Betts. You have no idea who I really am, how many girls I have had and taken against their will. There is nothing like the screams and pleading that falls from their whore mouths and then leave and never have to see them again."

"But why would you do this to me, Archie? Why have these assholes kidnap me and torture me? Was it because you couldn't control me anymore? Cause I didn't want to be married to a sorry excuse for a human being like you?" I asked angrily, flames of hatred flaring to life in my eyes as he laughed at me.

"Come on, Betty. Not **everything **is about you..." Archie chuckled, stepping closer to me and rubbing himself lecherously. "...this is about revenge. Revenge on that piece of shit Serpent, Jughead Jones. He's had this coming for years, ever since his slut of a sister narked on me and they ran me out of town. Taking you down a few pegs is just an added bonus."

"Fuck you, you twisted son of a bitch. When Jughead gets a hold of you, he'll-" Archie slapped me hard across my cheek, my head jarring to the side and causing me to see stars for a half a second. Rage hummed just under the surface of my skin as I dizzily stared back up at him, the sound of my blood rushing through my ears muffling the noise around me. I could faintly hear my mother spouting profanities at the men as they pulled me to my hands and knees.

I felt completely frozen in place as Malachi tore at my clothes, trying to force my leggings down past my hips unsuccessfully. I watched with tears as Archie pulled himself free and began to stalk towards me, grabbing my chin with the hand that wasn't stroking himself to try to and force it open. I clamped my mouth shut, vowing that if he tried to force himself into my mouth that I would bite down until I tasted blood.

Suddenly, I heard a garbled scream as the hands pawing at me fell off of my hips. I scrambled forward as Archie pulled his pants back up and jerked backward, terror clear on his face. I turned back to see my mother standing behind Malachi, one hand in his hair and the other holding a bloody switchblade. Malachi's eyes glassed over as he gasped for air, the gaping slit across his throat oozing crimson blood down his neck and onto his chest.

"That was for touching my daughter, you sick fuck!" Alice spat, tossing his head forward and watching him crumble into a heap on the floor. She kept her blade open, locking eyes with Archie and sneering at him. "And you... You better hope you make it out that door before I get to you!"

Archie turned to run out the door but ran into a wall of leather instead, Jughead leading the pack of Serpents who were there to bring him down, once and for all. "Miss me, Red?" Jughead growled, punching him so hard that Archie fell to the ground, knocked out cold. Joaquin and Sweet Pea dragged his limp body out of the door as Jughead and FP rushed inside to us, checking to see if we were hurt.

"Oh, Princess. Baby, I'm so sorry... I should- I should have gotten here quicker... Did they- did they hurt you?" Jughead fretted over me, checking the bruises on my face and laying his palm across my stomach. I wrapped my arms around his neck and sobbed, so happy that it was all finally over. "Come on, Betts. Let's go get you and the little one checked out. Dr. Patel is waiting at the Wyrm for us to get there."

"Wait! What about Malachi? And Dakota, is he...?" Jughead shook his head at me, brushing the hairs from my face.

"Dakota is fine, he's coming back with us. He and I need to have a long talk but I promise not to kill him. Dad and Alice are taking care of that other piece of shit, don't worry about it," Jughead said calmly, squeezing me to his side.

"And Archie?"

"Already taken care of, Betts. We have everything we need, he won't be an issue for us anymore."

_Former Riverdale resident and local football hero, Archibald Andrews, is facing two counts of first-degree kidnapping, two counts of first-degree conspiracy, and two counts of unlawful imprisonment for his role in the kidnapping and assault of his former wife, Elizabeth Cooper, and her mother, Alice Smith-Jones._

_Andrews' attorney, his mother Mary Andrews, has been working night and day to prove her son's innocence and stated: _"_**She will not stop until the vicious lies perpetrated by Miss Cooper and her family are proven to be false"**__, also claiming that the victim, in this case, was the leader of a notorious motorcycle club known as The Southside Serpents. Miss Cooper nor Mrs. Smith-Jones could not be reached for a statement. _

_News Channel 9 was given a first-hand interview with the accused..._

_In a shocking turn of events, eight more women have come forward today to press charges of rape and sexual assault and coercion against Riverdale High graduate, Archie Andrews. This makes nineteen total victims so far, and police are receiving more reports every day from more potential victims._

_This news comes on the heels of the discovery that the Southside Serpents are a completely legitimate clubhouse for motorcycle enthusiasts and have been cleared of any criminal activity and/or accusations that were brought against him by the accused and his lawyer._

_Here at Channel 6, we will bring to all the up to date information on this case and... _

_Former Riverdale resident, Archibald Andrews, has been found guilty on all charges laid against him and has been sentenced to 25 years to life by the Greendale Municipal Courts. With the influx of victims coming forward, the venue had to be changed for Riverdale to Greendale to try to get Mr. Andrews a fair trial. The judge presiding over the case calls this, "One of the most heinous crimes he has ever seen."_

_Mr. Andrews had to be restrained after the verdict was rendered, screaming profanities at the prosecutor and judge, as well as the victim and her family. Mr. Andrews is set to go back on trial new month for the rape of twenty-six different women in the state of New York over the last ten years. _

_**Seven Months Later...**_

"Betts? I'm back! Are you doing okay? How are you feeling, Princess?" I looked up to see my amazing fiance standing over me with the cup of ice he went to track down for me. I had already been in labor for eight hours now and the nurses were saying our little guy was due to be born any minute now. Now we were just waiting for Dr. Patel and then we would be able to start pushing.

"I'm okay, Juggie. Just really tired but the epidural is helping with the pain, so I'm okay. Are Mom and FP still in the waiting room with everyone else?" I asked as I sucked a tiny cube into my mouth, savoring the coolness on my tongue. Jughead nodded as he wiped the sweat from my brow.

"Yeah, baby. They are all still out there waiting to meet him. You sure you don't want anyone else here when he is born?" Jughead asked me hesitantly. He treaded lightly with this topic, given how many hours I had spent arguing with my mother on this very subject.

"Yeah, Juggie, I'm sure. I just want it to be us when he comes. They can come in for the next one," I said while I breathed deeply, in and out, just like the midwife had shown me.

"Already planning for the next one, Princess?" Jughead chuckled and kissed my temple.

"You know it." I winked with a giggle, gasping right as a sharp contraction pierced through my abdomen and my face screwed up into a grimace.

"Mrs. Jones? It's time. The doctor is on his way in now." As soon as the nurse told me it was time, they got me into position and placed Jughead behind me to help keep me pushed forward to help get the baby out quicker. After three more intense contractions, the doctor finally arrived and urged me to use my abdominal muscles to push on each contraction. Finally, after 45 minutes of pushing, the most precious cry rang out through the room and my heart burst.

"Mr. and Mrs. Jones, you have a beautiful baby boy," Dr. Patel announced proudly, his smile reflected in his voice. The nurses wrapped his tiny body in a blanket and quickly laid him on my naked chest.

"Hello there, little nugget. Mommy and Daddy have been waiting for you for a long time. We love you so much," I smiled down at my baby boy, tears streaming down my cheeks. I glanced up to see Jughead staring at him in awe, tears staining his face as well. "Say hi to your son, Daddy."

"Hey there, little guy," Jughead managed to crack out before the dam broke and he was crying happy tears into my hair. "Thank you, Betts. Thank you for giving me a family, for loving me. I love you both so damn much."

"I know, baby. We love you too. You ready to name him?" I asked with a knowing smile on my face.

"Are you sure that you can't be persuaded to change your mind? My feelings won't be hurt in the slightest, **promise**." Jughead visibly cringed, knowing that I was not going to be swayed.

"Nope. It's a tradition at this point and who are we to break tradition? Welcome to the world Forsythe Pendleton Jones the Fourth. Mommy and Daddy are so happy to meet you, Sy."


	18. Chapter 17: Memento

Welp, here it is, the final chapter! I can't believe I actually got this completed, it's been a long time coming and I hope y'all have enjoyed reading it as much as I have loved writing it!

I will tell you, I have decided that I would like to do a sequel so if you agree, please leave a comment and let me know what your thoughts are and whether you'd like to see this AU continue on!

Thanks to all those who have supported me in my writing journey and who continue to read my work. It makes me feel so blessed that I have so many people encouraging me to live my dream and write like I have wanted to do since I was a little girl! I love all of y'all to pieces! ? ﾟﾒﾞ? ﾟﾒﾗ?￢ﾝﾤ️? ﾟﾒﾛ? ﾟﾒﾙ? ﾟﾖﾤ? ﾟﾥﾰ? ﾟﾤﾩ

-Bina ?

_**Four Years Later...**_

"Forsythe Pendleton Jones the Fourth, you better get down off that counter right this minute!" I called out sternly as I caught my son mid-climb in his ascent onto the countertop, trying to sneak in a few cookies before his lunchtime meal.

"But Momma, I just wanna cookie, please?" he begged, his shaggy black curls falling out of his crown-shaped beanie that my mother made him and into his striking green eyes. The pleading look he gave me was adorable, making me chuckle to myself lightly. _He is just like his father,_ I thought as I scooped him up in her arms and carried him away from the counter.

"Sy, we talked about this, baby. No cookies between meals. No matter how much you beg and give me puppy eyes," I smiled down at him as he wiggled in my arms.

"But that's not fair, Momma. You always give Daddy cookies when he gives you the puppy face, why not me?"

"I see, your Daddy has been teaching bad habits! Well, I guess Momma will need to give Daddy a stern talking to about cookies between meals and the use of puppy eyes," I tickled him gently and he giggled, squirming and squealing until I finally placed him at the kitchen table and walked back to the counter to make his lunch. "Besides, my prince, we have something very important to do today. It is very special."

"More special than cookies?" Syth squealed in excitement.

"Yes, baby. Daddy will be home for lunch soon and then we can get ready to go visit Aunt Jelly and Uncle Pea at the hospital. Your cousin is finally here, isn't that exciting?"

"Will I get to meet baby Lolli?" He asked me, sitting-up on his knees to see me better. His toothy grin made my heart melt, seeing the excitement in his eyes as he thought about meeting his new cousin for the first time.

"Of course! I'm sure she will be very excited to meet you too - in her own way. But then we need to go have dinner and then come home to put on your costume so you can go trick or treating. Remember, Nana and Pop-Pop are going to take you over to Greendale to see the little Halloweentown that the Spellman's are putting on this year. And, if you eat all your lunch, Momma _might_ be inclined to give you a cookie to take with you on our drive to the hospital," I told him with a smile as I handed him his ham and cheese sandwich and sliced apples with peanut butter to dip them in.

"Okay, Momma," Syth said, digging into his lunch happily. I watched my son eating his food with a smirk, thinking about how different my life had become over the years. So many things had happened in the last four years since our son was born.

Shortly after his birth, Jughead and I decided to tie the knot in a small ceremony in the very place that we had met - our parents' backyard. We only had our closest friends there, Sweet Pea and Veronica being the best man and maid of honor and Jellybean carrying our little tiny ring-bearer, Syth. It was simple yet elegant and _very_ low key, just how we wanted it.

With all the news and buzz around the trial, we decided that we could postpone the honeymoon and waited another six months until after the trial was finally over to get away. We spent two beautiful weeks in Scotland and Ireland while JB and Pea watched Sy. It was magical and I made Jug promise to bring me back one day.

After we returned, we renovated and expanded our apartment on the second floor of the Whyte Wyrm to make more room for our expanding family. Now, the once tiny two-bedroom apartment takes up double the space but still leaves room for an office for Jug and a conference room for club meetings.

About that time, Sweet Pea proposed to Jellybean and Jug and Sweet Pea decided to start a car and bike repair shop to allow Sweets to have a steady income after he and Jellybean got married. They lived with us until they found out that JB was pregnant and decided it was time to get their own place. In fact, JB had just given birth to their first child that very morning, a little girl that they so lovingly called Lollipop.

Veronica decided she liked staying in Riverdale and wanted to help improve our little town. She used the money she inherited when her Abuelita passed away and went into several lucrative business ventures, including the purchase of Pop's Diner as well as the Pembrooke where she and Reggie moved into the penthouse that she had redone once the sale was final.

With the money she made off the Pembrooke tenants, her boutiques, and her trust fund, Veronica decided to begin to purchase land on the Southside. Her first purchase was land that formerly housed Sunnyside Trailer Park. She leveled it (relocating the residents temporarily - on her dime) and turned it into affordable housing apartments that she called Sunnyside Suites.

Since there were still people living there when she bought the land, all former residents of the trailer park were given condos - free of charge - that they could live in rent-free for as long as they liked. If any residents chose to leave, Veronica would purchase the space from them for a substantial amount and paid for their moving expenses.

She and Reggie also decided to buy the old Twilight Drive-In land. They put in an updated, state of the art drive-in movie theater and opened a 'Pop's Diner' food truck that was permanently parked at the new Twilight Drive-In. Pop decided that instead of retiring, he wanted to work at the food truck since it was a smaller space and he was getting on in years. Once he finalized his move and got everyone trained, Adam and Jellybean became the new managers of the diner and business was booming.

Of course, Jughead still chose to run the bar himself - with my help - and business had never been better for us. We even hired a new waitress about two years ago, JB's best friend Sabrina Spellman, and she quickly became like a member of the weird little family. She and JB had taken classes together in Greendale and have been joined at the hip since so it only seemed natural for her to be a fixture in our lives as well.

There were some awkward moments over the years, like when Josie and the Pussycats decided to play a one night only show at the Wyrm in support of the Southside revamping project and Josie confided in me that she was also one of Archie's victim's. She didn't come forward with the others due to her celebrity status but she wanted me to know how grateful she was that I took him down and that he would be in prison for a very long time. We hugged and have kept in touch over the last few years and found solace in each other through the times when it got too much to handle.

There was also the time when Ethel and Sabrina's ex - Harvey - came to town and stopped by for a drink while Sabrina was working. Ethel nearly blew a gasket when she caught Harvey staring at Sabrina like she was a four-course meal and he was starving. Apparently, Harvey had told Ethel that he dumped Sabrina because she was crazy when in fact Sabrina had dumped him for kissing another girl. They had a huge fight and Ethel threw a drink on him before running out of the bar in tears. Harvey tried to play it off and attempted to hit on Sabrina before Dakota threw him out. Thankfully, nothing else happened and after that night Sabrina started to see Dakota in a new light and they started dating so it all worked out in the end.

_But there was also that one time... _I was broken from my thoughts when I heard the sound of heavy boots coming up the stairs. I smiled at my son as his eyes lit up in recognition.

"Daddy's home!" Sy shouted, his mouth still full of apple bits. He began to shove the remains of his sandwich into his mouth before I had a chance to say anything. I pulled the sandwich out of his mouth and shook my head at him, chuckling.

"Syth, slow down. You'll choke if you eat that fast, honey. Why don't you go get your stuff ready so we can go see Lolli and Aunt Jelly? Okay, sweetheart?"

"Okay, Momma!" I watched as he ran to his room, a huge grin on his face at the prospect that he would finally get to meet his new cousin. He had spent Jelly's entire pregnancy talking to her belly, telling his cousin all the fun stuff they will do when she was born, and even asking us if we could have another baby soon so he could have a brother or sister to play with any time he wanted.

"Honey, I'm home!" Jughead announced happily, grinning as he came in the door. He walked across the room, gathering me into a hug before placing a tender kiss to my crown.

"You're in a good mood today. Is this all about you being an uncle or is this something else?" I asked him in a sweet tone. He squeezed me tighter before kissing my forehead and sighing happily, pulling away to look at me.

"This..." he paused and kissed me again, "...is because I love you and I'm happy. Also, those parts I ordered for you will be here today so we can finally get back to our little 'project'," he stated, wiggling his eyebrows. Jughead had been helping me for the last year to restore a 1967 Chevy Impala to its original condition. It had been a fun little thing we did on the side and had already begun planning to take a trip, just the two of us, once the car was completed.

"Are you serious! The new exhaust is coming today! Hell yeah, I am so excited!" I jumped into his arms and he swung me around before bringing me into a deep kiss. I pulled away, breathless and smirked. "At least it won't sound like shit when we start her up now," I giggled. Jughead sat me to my feet and kissed my temple just as Syth came running out his room, completely bundled up and his rain boots on.

"Baby, did you really need to wear those? It's not even raining today."

"Yes, Mommy! It might rain and I don't want my feet wet!" the boy exclaimed, almost shocked that I even suggested that he not wear his boots. Jughead let me go to scoop him up, a mischievous look in his eye, as he 'whispered' in Sy's ear.

"It's ok buddy, you can wear your boots. Momma is just jealous cause you have the coolest boots in the world and her feet are too big for them. Now, let's go see your new cousin," Jughead said with a wink, laughing at the scowl on my face. "Let's go, Princess." I rolled my eyes and stuck my tongue out as we walked out the door, flipping him off when Syth turned his back to me.

"Knock, knock..." Jughead said softly as he rapted on the door to Jellybean's hospital room. I peeked around him, catching a glimpse of an exhausted looking JB in her bed, a smile stretched over her tired features. Beside her, in a hospital recliner, was Sweet Pea and little Lollipop. He was grinning down at her and whispering sweet nothings to her as she slept peacefully in his arms.

"Hey, bro. Thanks for finally coming to see your niece, ya jerk." Jellybean said weakly with a sarcastic grin on her face. Jughead walked over to her, smiling and kissing her hair before giving her a gentle hug.

"Well, you know, I do have a garage to run while Pea's on paternity leave," Jughead replied, smirking at Jelly as he handed her a tiny teddy bear wearing a leather jacket. Syth ran past us and perched himself carefully beside Sweet Pea and Lollipop.

"Uncle Pea, is _that_ Lolli?" He asked, confused by the tiny bundle in front of him.

"Yep little dude, this is your cousin. Lollipop meet Syth, Syth this is Lollipop," Sweet Pea said happily.

"But, she's so wrinkly... and she looks like a potato..."

"Forsythe!" I scolded lightly, laughing with everyone else at the brutal honesty of my four-year-old. Sweet Pea shook his head and rubbed Lolli's cheek tenderly with his finger.

"Well, she kind of does, doesn't she, buddy?" Sweet Pea said with a chuckle.

"Cutest potato I've ever seen, that's for sure," Jellybean giggled, watching all of us fawn over the newest member of our family. This was turning out to be an amazing day...

After leaving the hospital, we decided to stop by Pop's Diner and get a quick bite to eat before heading back to the Wyrm. Syth had talked non stop about his baby cousin to anyone and everyone who would listen, including the entire staff at the diner. Even old man Jenkins got an ear full while he waited for his coffee and pie.

It was still surreal to me - even after all these years - not to see Pop's smiling face behind the counter. I grew up coming here several times a week and he was always a constant in this place. I was sad that Sy wouldn't have the same experience here as I did but Pop was happy to work the food truck and relax in his retirement so that made me happy too. We made sure that Syth got to know Pop and he loved visiting him when we would go to the drive-in.

I glanced at Jughead, staring at his features as we drove through the new and improved Southside of Riverdale. If you had asked me about where I saw myself in five years I never could have imagined that I would be where I am today. I am married to the love of my life, we have a beautiful son who we adore and a thriving business that allows us to be together as much as we'd like. We had even talked about trying for another baby soon, now that Sy was older and about to start school. I think Sy's begging for a sibling finally got to Jug and Jelly getting pregnant was also a catalyst.

Jughead had it in his head that our next one would be a girl and he was so excited to start trying for his little baby girl. I squeezed his hand as we got closer to home and he smiled as we pulled into the parking lot. I helped Sy out of his car seat and we all walked in together, Sy running ahead of us happily while we followed him - hand in hand.

"Hey Jug, that box of parts you ordered is on your desk. Also, there's a certified letter addressed to you that came as well. Not sure what the hell it is, but it looks important," Toni yelled across the still somewhat empty bar as we stepped inside. Jughead looked at me confused but shrugged before giving me a quick kiss on the lips.

"You and the boy head upstairs and get him in his costume. Dad said they'd be here in half an hour to pick him up and you know how impatient your Mom can get. Besides, Zelda and Hilda can't wait to see him."

"Yeah, Sabrina texted me earlier saying she and Dakota would be headed over here for the party after she helped her Aunts with setting up the props in the yard. I just hate that JB and Sweets won't be here this year," I said with a sigh.

"Hey, no one told her to have her baby on Halloween. That was all Lolli's doing," Jughead laughed, "Besides, next year we can celebrate her birthday and Halloween at once!" he grinned, kissing my forehead before heading towards his office.

"Alright Sy, let's get you upstairs and transform you into the cutest little ninja that anyone's ever seen!" I exclaimed to Syth and watched his eyes light up before scampering up to our apartment above the bar. Once we got inside and got everything ready, I started cleaning up his toys and thought about what else I needed for my costume for tonight to be complete.

_Maybe I should call Kevin, surely he has some ideas on how to spice it up..._

Suddenly, the front door slammed open and I shrieked, spinning around to see Jughead wandering inside as pale as a ghost. He clutched a letter in his hands and he had a far off look in his eyes. I hadn't seen him this shaken up since before Sy was born so I knew that whatever that letter said, it wasn't good news.

"Juggie, baby, what's wrong?" I rushed to him as he sat on the couch, his hands shaking as he gripped the letter tighter. His voice came out flatly as he stared ahead, his voice trembling and threatening to crack.

"He's getting out, Betts..."

"What? Who are you..." I froze, the realization of his words hitting me like a freight train. "No," I whispered in disbelief, my heart dropping into my stomach. I looked over to where our son was happily playing with his toy trucks and humming to himself and I gathered the courage to speak. "How Jug? How did he manage to get out?"

Jughead swallowed hard and dropped the papers in his hands, putting his face in his palms and rocking slightly as he replied, "I know, Betts. God, I-..." he cleared his throat and continued, raising his head and staring at me, "He got a new lawyer who got him granted a new trial. Since his mother was his lawyer the first time, they felt he didn't receive good enough counsel on any of the cases. He's supposed to get out on bond within the week."

"Oh my God, Jug. You don't think he'll come back here, do you?" I couldn't stop the thoughts running through my mind, the memories of what he did, what he planned to do. "This wasn't supposed to happen...What kind of monster would help a sadist like him get out of jail?"

Jughead flinched at my words and I could tell there was more going on then he is letting me know. "Jug? What is it? What aren't you telling me?"

"His lawyer- she's not a good person. In fact, she's probably more dangerous than he is. Her name is Penny Peabody and she used to be a Serpent. That was till me and the boys ran her out of town in a **very** memorable way. I'm afraid this is not just about getting him a fair trial, Betts. This is about revenge... on both of us."

_To Be Continued..._


End file.
